Silence is the New Riddle
by EmeraldWishes
Summary: Ridley Wayne is a girl with a traumatic past which she can't remember. She will lose everything she ever had and gain everything she didn't. Friends, a true family, and possibly even love. As she digs deeper into her past and the lives of those around her, she has one question to ask: How far is she willing to go to find out the truth? (Full discription in bio)
1. 【1】

**A/N: Hey guys! *waves* so I'm reuploading this story because I'm in the mood to write it again. Why did I delete it last time? Because I really wasn't sure of where I wanted the story to go and didn't want to disappoint you all. Now I have a clearer picture of where I want this story to go. Warning: this will have irregular updates so don't be surprised if I don't post anything for weeks and then suddenly post like 5 chapters. Hope yo enjoy the story! Feedback is encouraged. ~ Crimson**

"Somebody stole my car radio

And now I just sit in silence"

I was laying down on my bed staring up at the ceiling listening to Twenty One Pilots song Car Radio. It was fitting in my situation, although, if we keep it to the metaphor, my radio wasn't stolen, I chose not to play it. I sat up and switched my iPod off when someone opened the door, Alfred, Bruce Wayne's butler.

"Miss Ridley?" Alfred said, "Master Bruce would like to talk to you."

I nodded and hopped off the bed and walked out my bedroom door with Alfred following behind me.

Let me be clear on my name. I hate it. It was a dog's name, not a human's. But I suppose that I can't be that picky about it. When Batman saved me from Zsasz, he found me clutching a dog tag with the name 'Ridley' on it. So yes, I was named after a freakin' dog. I also know that Bruce Wayne is Batman. He didn't seem to worried about me knowing, considering my... circumstances.

Walking down the stairs I found Bruce in the library staring out the window. The library was one of my favorite places in the house, it's floor to ceiling book cases were stuffed with all books imaginable and the large bay windows and glass double doors look out to a peaceful backyard.

"Ah, Ridley," he said turning around with a slight smile. "How are you?"

I shrugged. _Fine._

"I wanted to talk to you about the next few days," Bruce continued. "I know that school will be over soon, and that means that you'll be done, unless you want to go to college?"

I shrugged again. I honestly didn't know. Nobody has any use for a person that doesn't speak in any sort of job, and College? Yeah, no thanks. High school was already hell, why would I want to subject myself to that again?

Bruce let out a sigh. "Look," he said, "I know things are hard for you right now, you do know that I can help you."

I gave a slight nod. Of course I knew that. He told me that every single day. It was like he felt like it was his fault that I was like this; but it wasn't. It was Zsasz's fault. I don't remember much about what happened after Bruce rescued me, as Batman of course, but I knew it was something bad considering the scars that cover my body. Why else would I wear long sleeve shirts and long pants all the time? It was just another thing that kids a school teased me about.

"I'm going to have Richard start driving you to school for the last days of school," Bruce said, "I want to make sure that you'll be ok."

I glared at Bruce. Ever since I got my license I drove myself to school. It was the one good part of my day. Just me by myself and my thoughts.

Ha that's rich coming from me. I thought. I'm stuck with my thoughts every flippin' day.

"Did you hear me Ridley?" Bruce asked.

Duh. Of course I did. I nodded my head.

"Ok then," Bruce said giving me a smile. "Why don't you go back upstairs and work on your homework?"

I shrugged again and exited the room and headed up the stairs.

Flopping down on my bed I went through my music and settled once again to listening to my favorite playlist. I had titled it 'Sad Songs for a Sad Day' but I listened to it regardless if I was sad each day or not; it was calming. When She Cries by Britt Nicole came on and I closed my eyes. I had finished my homework yesterday, when you don't have any friends and you don't talk to anyone you have a lot of time on your hands. Closing my eyes I fell into a deep sleep.

Waking up some hours later I saw that Alfred had left my dinner sitting on my desk. Eating in my room was nothing new to me, in fact, I liked it. Bruce forced me to have dinner with him and Richard at least twice a week. The other days I could eat in my room. I didn't particularly like eating with Bruce and Richard, they talked about their escapades, which was fun to hear about but somehow they always ended up talking about me.

Walking over to my desk I sat down and quickly ate my dinner of lamb and brussel sprouts. It was slightly cold so dinner must've been an hour ago. Glancing at my alarm clock I saw that it read 8:30. I let out a groan. That was just great. I had slept the entire afternoon and half of the evening sleeping. How was I going to fall back asleep now?

Finishing my dinner I grabbed pajamas from my dresser and headed into the bathroom to take a shower. I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I wouldn't go as far to say that I was beautiful. Pretty maybe, but definitely not someone a guy would do a double take on.

My dull brown hair hung halfway down my back and my equally dull brown eyes looked tired. Shaking my head I quickly undressed and hopped into the shower. Washing my hair I tried not to look down at myself. I hated seeing the scars all over my body, and I hated it even more if people saw them. That would lead to questions that I don't know the answer to. I didn't know how I got the scars though I would guess that they came from my time as Zsasz's prisoner when I was younger. I only knew that because Bruce had told me how he'd found me when he thought I was old enough to handle it.

Bruce had said that I didn't need to worry about Zsasz because he hadn't been seen or heard of since that day, 12 years ago. I didn't remember anything from when I was six and younger. Bruce and the doctors figured that my mind had blocked the memories from my conscious part of my brain because they'd been so traumatic. This just made Bruce and the others be more careful around me. They didn't want to get me overly emotional in case it set me off and brought those memories back.

Shutting off the water I got out of the shower and grabbed my towel, wrapping it around myself. Wiping the steam off of the mirror I stared at my now wet appearance. The first thing that I noticed where the scars running up and down my arms. They were completely straight, running both horizontally and vertically but never crossing. The rest of the scars on my body were the same, appearing to have no sense of rhyme or reason to their placement.

Pulling my pajamas on, I walked back into my room to find that the window was open. Frowning I walked over and shut it, preventing the cool night wind from blowing in. Turning around I noticed that something was sitting on my bed. Picking it up I realized that it was a small rectangular green card with a purple question mark on it. My stomach dropped slightly. It was obvious who this was from. Flipping it over I saw that there was a riddle on it.

 ** _Riddle me this: What word starts and ends with 'E' but often only has one letter in it?_**

I examined the card more closely but couldn't find anything else on it. I'd have to figure out the riddle later. But how had it gotten here? Someone must've came through the window because they had left it open, but I was on the second floor and it was a straight drop to the ground. I placed the card down on my nightstand with an odd sense of foreboding settling over me. I'd have to remember to show Bruce tomorrow. Crawling into bed I switched off the lights and tried to fall asleep.


	2. 【2】

"Miss Ridley!" I woke up to Alfred knocking on my door. "It's time for you to get up and get ready for school."

I rolled over and put my head under my pillow. I had spent most of the night trying to think why that card had been left in my room, as well as the answer to the riddle. Needless to say, I didn't get enough sleep because of it.

I heard the door open and suddenly the pillow was pulled forcefully off of my head.

"Master Bruce won't take kindly to you being late to school again miss," Alfred said looking down at me. "Wake up now."

 _Ugh! Fine._ I rolled my eyes and sat up with a stretch.

"Get dressed and then come down for breakfast," Alfred said with a satisfied nod of his head. "Don't forget that Master Richard will be driving you to school today."

I groaned internally. How could I forget that? It felt like Bruce was slowly taking away my freedom when he should've been giving me more of it.

"Don't give me that look miss," Alfred 'scolded'.

I rolled my eyes again and flung my legs over the side of the bed. Alfred gave me a nod before leaving the room.

Getting up I walked over to my dresser and picked out a pair of jeans and a T-shirt to wear. Yes I wore T-shirts even if I wore something over them. I wasn't an idiot and with the weather getting warmer it would be suicide to wear a long sleeve shirt.

Tugging on a purple shirt I make my way over to my closet and pulled out my favorite emerald green cardigan. Putting it on, I made sure to button it up all the way before slipping in my sneakers and exiting my room to go eat breakfast.

"Did you have a good night sleep?" Bruce asked me when I entered the dining room.

I nodded and sat down at the table before for filling the plate in front of me with eggs and bacon.

"Richard's going to be driving you to school,"Bruce reminded me, "He'll also be picking you up once it's over."

I shot a glare at Bruce. _Thanks for reminding me for the hundredth time! Alfred already told me._

"I'm only looking out for your well being Ridley," Bruce said with a sigh, complete misinterpreting what the glare meant. "I want to make sure that you're safe. After what happened with the press ambushing you last time, I want to take precautions."

 _Really?_ I raised an eyebrow. I'm sure that was part of the reason, but I know there was something else as well. It was no secret that there was a huge break out at Arkham Asylum last week. Did Bruce know about the card? No, probably not. He'd have grilled me about it and then lectured me about how I needed to stay safe.

"Finish your breakfast and then go meet Richard outside," Bruce said after a moment.

I nodded and quickly finished my breakfast before getting up from the table and grabbing my bag which was by the door. I nodded in thanks to Alfred as I walked past him.

"Have a pleasant day at school, miss," Alfred said with a smile.

 _Like hell I will._ I nodded and then waved as I walked out the front door and down the drive to where Richard was waiting.

"Lovely morning, isn't?" Richard asked me as I got into the passenger seat.

I nodded. _Sure I guess._

"I can't believe that Bruce made me drive the car today," Richard said, starting to complain. "I'm just as capable of driving the motorcycle, but noooooo Bruce made me drive the car because he was worried that we'd get in an accident."

Bruce is such a worry wart.

I silently watched the trees go by as he drove. We rode in silence and I fiddled with my headphones before slipping them on. Hitting shuffle I listened to Taylor Swift sing about her most recent cheating boyfriend.

After fifteen minutes Richard tapped me on the shoulder and I hit pause.

"We're here," he said with a grin. "I know you don't like it, but try to have a good day, ok? I'll be here to pick you up after school."

I nodded and stepped out of the car. Welcome to hell I thought bitterly as I made my way towards Gotham High.

Walking into the large three story brick building I wondered how I was going to survive this time. I couldn't wait until school was over, then I wouldn't have to deal with this. I sensed people staring at me as I walked to my locker and I did my best to ignore it. Getting to my locker I opened it and then tossed my stuff into it. Grabbing my notebook and binder I headed to my first class of the day; Science.

Entering the room I sat down in my usual spot in the back of the room. Looking around I saw that once again I was the only one there at the moment, besides the teacher, who was sitting behind their desk grading papers. The other kids would probably arrive a few seconds before the bell rang. Five minutes later the rest of the class filed in and found their respective seats, meaning that no one would sit by me if they could help it. I heard running footsteps and saw Max Knight run in just as the bell rang.

"I'm going to have to count you late, Mr. Knight," the teacher said raising her head.

"But I made it here just as the bell rang!" Max protested, "So technically I'm not late."

"And i'm technically the teacher," the teacher said, her face hardening. "Go sit down."

Max shrugged and then made his way over to my table.

"How are you doing Ridley?" he asked in a low voice so the teacher wouldn't hear.

 _Good._ I shrugged my shoulders and turned to face the front of the room as the teacher started her lecture.

Needless to say, the lecture was the most boring thing ever and I quickly zoned out.my attention wandered over to Max who was playing some game on his phone.

"Wanna try and play it?" Max asked, noticing my interest.

I shook my head. _No thanks. I don't to get caught playing it and get in trouble._

"You sure? Ok then," Max said with a shrug.

I turned back to my notebook which I was writing song lyrics in. My thoughts wandered and I found myself thinking about the guys sitting right next to me. Max was the only one that was remotely nice to me and i knew that his friends gave him crap about it. I didn't understand why he wanted to spend time with me, I supposed it was nice, but we really weren't considered friends because he only really talked to me when we had class together, which was only a few times. The rest of the class period was dull and I'm pretty sure that half the class was pretty much asleep by the end of it.

"See you in math," Max told me when we exited the classroom. I nodded and headed to my next class, which was History.

The rest of my classes were pretty much the same as my first class and I was glad when lunch finally rolled around. Grabbing my lunchbox I headed outside and towards my usual eating area against the side of the building. Pulling my headphones out of the headphone jack, I switched on my iPod and turned the volume up at full blast. I bit into my sandwich and listened to My Chemical Romance's S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W. I let the music wash over me and relaxed for the first time in a while.

 ** _Leave a dream where the fallout lies_**

 ** _Watch it grow where the tearstain dries_**

 ** _To keep you safe tonight._**

 ** _He burns my skin_**

 ** _Never mind about the shape I'm in_**

 ** _I'll keep you safe tonight yeah, yeah..._**

I was having a rather pleasant time until I saw Kyle and his idiot friends walking near by.

 _Please don't notice me._

Kyle was perhaps the biggest jerk ever and made it his personal goal to harass and make fun of me as much as he could.

"Hey Ridley!" he said noticing me and walking over. His friends followed him snickering.

 _Shit._

"I'm having an end of the year party," Kyle said. "I was wondering if you wanted to come. What do you _say_?" he smirked and his friends laughed like hyenas.

I glared at him. _Fuck off._

"Why do you always wear long sleeves?" one of his friends said loudly. I think his name was Ben.

"It's obvious that she's trying to hide something," Kyle said, "Let's find out what it is."

 _No! Leave me alone!_ I struggled when two more of his friends lunged at me and grabbed my arms.

"You're always wearing the stupid sweater," Kyle said advancing towards me. "Let's see what's under it, shall we?"

Frantically I kicked my legs out and managed to connect with his shin.

"What the hell?" Kyle said glaring at me. "Bitch," he spit.

He nodded his head to his friends and they gleefully ripped my cardigan off. Assholes.

"So you do wear something other than long sleeves!" Kyle said gleefully. "Not sure about what I think about the purple shirt but-"

He stopped when he saw my scars and his eyes widened. "My word," he said, "You have problems. More than one. Either you're depressed or you enjoy the pain that it causes," he sneered at me. "You know... if you are into that kind of stuff I can hook you up with someone."

He let out a laugh as if he thought that he was with funniest person ever.

"Get it?" he asked his friends. "Hook up?"

 _Shut up! Shut up shutupshutupshutup!_ I clenched my fists.

"Oh just wait till the others hear about this," Kyle said with a smirk. He pulled out his phone. "Pose for a picture boys," he said to his friends.

 _NO!_ I struggled again in vain, but their grip was just too tight. Burce would be mad if he ever found out about this. How would he explain it to the press? The image that he'd worked hard at perfecting would be ruined thanks to me. I knew that he would be more worried about me than his image, but that didn't stop me from worrying about it.

"Hey," I heard someone say from behind Kyle and his friends. I looked up to see Max standing there with his arms crossed. "What do you think you're doing?"

"None of your business," Kyle snapped. "Back off."

"Are you hurting Ridley?" Max asked coming closer.

 _Leave before you get hurt. I don't want to get you mixed up in this._

"What does it matter to you?" Kyle asked, turning around to face Max.

"I want to just make sure that she's ok," Max said.

"You her boyfriend or something?" Kyle said.

"What does it matter to you?" Max asked with a smirk. "Leave now before I call a teacher over and tell them what you're doing."

Kyle scowled at Max but jerked his head. "Come on guys," he muttered. "Leave the bitch and her knight alone. For now." He walked away with his friends snickering behind him, no doubt laughing about the pun he had just made.

"You ok Ridley?" Max asked softly, approaching me.

 _Not in the slightest._ I felt tears start to pool in my eyes and I shook my head.

Max crouched down and picked up my cardigan. "Those guys are assholes," he said, handing it back to me.

I nodded in agreement. _Yes they are._

"Ridley..." Max said slowly, noticing my scars. "What are those?"

I ignored him and started to put my cardigan on.

"Ridley," Max said more forcefully. I glanced up at him and met his blue eyes. "Did you do this to yourself?"

I shook my head.

"You're lying," Max said. " I know for a fact that Bruce Wayne would never harm anyone, much less his daughter."

 _How do you know that?_ I asked silently. But I of course knew that Max was speaking the truth. Bruce would never hurt anyone unless he had to, and that was only when he was Batman.

"Look," Max said with a sigh, "I know that it's none of my business, but if you are really cutting yourself you should go see a therapist or something."

I shook my head again. _I'm not doing this to myself._

"I think that we should go to the office and report Kyle and his idiot friends at least," Max said after a while.

I shook my head again. If Kyle found out that I went to the office he would hound me just as much as the press would except unlike the press, he would hurt me.

"Damn it Ridley!" Max said letting out a frustrated breath. "Can't you see that I want to help you?"

 _Why do you want to help me?_ I gave him a questioning look.

Max's face softened, "I want to help you Ridley because I- I care for you."

Well shit. That's not what I expected him to say. I thought that he'd say something along the lines of 'I wanted to do the right thing'.

"Come on Ridley," Max said standing up. "We are going to the office now."

He didn't give me any room to protest as he practically dragged me there.

 **A/N: The song used in this chapter was S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W (Scarecrow) by My Chemical Romance. All rights belong to them. I am merely using the song as a way of foreshadowing things to come ;)**


	3. 【3】

"Mr. Fisher?" Max asked knocking on the principal's door once we arrived to the office.

"Enter," a voice said.

I hung my head so that my hair covered my face as Max firmly let me into the room.

"Hello Max and Ridley," Mr. Fisher said, "how may I help you?"

"There's a problem involving Ridley and a group of guys," Max said, "I believe that they are harassing her."

"That's a pretty big thing to claim," Mr. Fisher said raising an eyebrow. "Do you have any proof?"

"No," Max said shaking his head, "but they did rip off your sweater, didn't they Ridley?"

I nodded my head. Damn I was near tears again, and all we were doing was talking! Maybe it was because someone else wants to help me. That was the most confusing part; Max never made a move to talk to me outside of the classes we had together. Jeez, right now I was an emotional confused mess.

"I'm sorry," Mr. Fisher said not sounding very sorry at all. "But I can't take anything you say into account unless I have a witness to prove what happened," he looked at me.

"But it was harassment!" Max said getting angry. "Shouldn't you take that into account?"

"I'm sorry Mr. Knight," Mr. Fisher said, "But have you considered that Ridley is just doing it to get attention?"

I stared at Mr. Fisher in shock. Had he really just said what I thought he said? I glanced at Max and by his facial expression I knew that I hadn't heard wrong.

"Excuse me?" Max said in barely controlled anger.

"You heard me," Mr. Fisher said with a wave of his hand. "You've heard what they say about Ridley all the time don't you?'

So that is what this is about. He's not willing to help me because he's a news believer.

"So what does it matter?" Max snapped.

"She's looking for attention," Mr. Fisher said. "That's probably why she doesn't speak. It's so that she'll get special treatment."

I stood up abruptly.

"Ridley...?" Max asked.

I shook my head and then before I lost it, I ran out of the room.

"Ridley!" Max yelled as I ran.

I wiped at a tear that had fallen and ran out of the building. I didn't care where I was going as long as it was away from that horrible place. If I could run away from Gotham I would. I collapsed on a bench and started sobbing. Why did people treat me they way they did? All I wanted was to be accepted for who I was and be as normal as a girl that won't talk could be. I heard footsteps behind me and turned to see Max walking up to me. His face fell when he saw me.

"I'm sorry Ridley," Max said sitting down next to me. He put his arm around me and I stiffened before relaxing. Turning my head to the side I buried my head into his side and started crying harder.

"It's ok," Max whispered to me, stroking my back. "I should've listened to you. Had I known how much of a jerk Mr. Fisher was, I would've never brought you into talk to him."

I sniffed and pulled away from him. _Sorry._ I gave him an apoplectic look.

"It's not your fault," Max said, "and I don't mind this," he gestured to his tear stained shirt. "I think that our math class will be starting soon. Do you want to go?"

How could he ask a question like that now? I shook my head.

"So you just want to sit here until, school's over?" Max asked.

I want to leave now. I nodded.

"Ok then," Max said. "Do you want me to go and grab your things from your locker?"

 _Sure._ I shrugged.

"I'll got get it then," Max said standing up. "You stay here."

I rolled my eyes and watched him head back into the school. Like I'd go anywhere. A few minutes later Max came back lugging my backpack behind him.

"What do you have in here?" he asked. "Bricks?"

I grinned and shook my head. I actually just had several textbooks that I was using for my classes, but Max probably knew that. It only occurred to me later that Max would've had to know what my locker combination was to get into it.

We sat in silence until school was out, which was fine by me although I thought that Max wanted to say some things at one point. I was wondering why Max had tried to help me; he never had done it before. Yeah, he said that he cared about me, but caring about me and liking me where two different things. Max had never shown any sort of feelings towards me that I knew of, I was kind of dense when it came to that kind of stuff so it was very possible that I hadn't noticed it.

"That your ride?" Max asked pulling me out of my thoughts. He was pointing over to where Richard had parked a few feet away.

I nodded and stood up, slinging my backpack over my shoulder.

"Hey Ridley," Max said causing me to turn around. "I forgot about it until now, but I wanted to give this to you." He handed me a sea foam green envelope.

"It's your birthday tomorrow, right?" he looked slightly nervous.

I nodded. To be honest, I had so much going on that I had completely forgotten about it.

"Well happy early birthday then," Max said. "I won't be here tomorrow casuse I got some things going on so I wanted to give it to you now. Don't open it until you're alone," he added.

I gave him a questioning look. _Why?_

It's something that I want you to see when you're by yourself," Max said. "Don't worry, it's nothing bad," he added, seeing my expression.

Richard honked the car horn and yelled at me to hurry up. I rolled my eyes and slipped the envelope into my backpack. Waving goodbye to Max I walked over to the car and got in.

"Who was that guy you were with?" Richard asked as soon as I got into the car.

 _Nobody._ I shrugged.

"You friends with him?"

I shrugged again. I suppose he was a friend.

"You looking forward to your birthday?" Richard asked. "You're going to be 18!" he ruffled my hair and I poked him in the shoulder to get his attention back on the road. Richard was an ok driver, when he was actually paying attention.

"I'm not supposed to tell you this," Richard began and I rolled my eyes. He was horrible with keeping secrets. "But Bruce is planning on having a small party tomorrow night; if nothing bad happens."

I tensed when he said that. He did know that I didn't like being around large groups of people, right?

"But don't worry about it," Richard said. "We both know that you don't really like being around other people so it's just going to be me, Bruce and Alfred."

I relaxed when I heard him say that. Thank God; I didn't think that i'd be able to handle a big huge birthday party, even if it was for my 18th.

"Here we are!" Richard said cheerfully pulling into the driveway. I got out once the car stopped and headed into the manor.

"How was your day Ridley?" Bruce asked when I entered the living room.

 _Could've been better._ I shrugged.

"I got a call from the school today," Bruce said slowly. "They said that you claimed that you were harassed. Is this true?"

I looked down at the ground and didn't meet his gaze.

"Ridley," Bruce said again. "Is this true?"

I slowly nodded and Bruce cursed.

"What the Hell!?" Richard said from behind me. I jumped in surprise and turned around. I hadn't notice him come into the room.

"You were harassed!?" he exclaimed, looking very angry. "I'm gonna beat up the punks that did it to you."

Bruce dragged a hand across his face and let out a sigh. "The principal seems to think that you're saying these thing to get attention."

Richard let out a surprised/disgusted sound.

"I know that you'd never say something like that to gain attention," Bruce said.

I nodded. Of course I wouldn't. I wasn't the type of person to do anything for attention. In fact, I hated it.

"Aren't you going to do anything about this?" Richard asked.

"I wish I could," Bruce said.

"So you're not going to do anything?" Richard said in disbelief. "Can't you like get the principal fired or something?"

"You don't understand Richard," Bruce said getting impatient. "If I went and found a way to get the principal fired, it'd be all over the news that Bruce Wayne fired the principal of Gotham High. It'd just be one more thing that the press would have against Ridley. I probably will have to deal with them later today or tomorrow because of what happened today."

I nodded, confirming what he was wondering about.

Bruce let out another sigh, "Why don't you go put your things in your room and then go with Richard down to the Batcave for training?"

I shrugged and then headed upstairs to my room. Bruce had wanted me to start learning how to defend myself, but whenever I panicked I forgot my training. I was really good at hand to hand combat and ok with weapons. However for some reason I didn't like modern weapons like guns or knives. Bruce didn't really like me learning to how to use weapons so he was fine with that.

Richard however insisted that I had to learn how to use weapons in case I ever needed to use them so we sometimes trained with weapons. I remembered the first time that Bruce had caught us doing that; he was really mad. He told Richard to not to teach me how to fight because when would I ever use it? Richard had then argued that I should learn how to defend myself if Bruce ever wanted me to join him and Richard on their nighttime excursions. Bruce relented after that and I was allowed to practice with weapons if I was careful not to get hurt. Five years later I still hadn't gone on with them. Hopefully Bruce would let me once my birthday had passed.

Dumping my stuff on my bed I quickly changed into something that would be easier to move around in and headed back downstairs. Pressing my hand against a panel in the living room I entered the stairway that led to the Batcave and made my way down.

"About time!" Richard said as I entered the training room. It was large and had the most recent and modern training equipment. I made my way into the middle of the room where Richard was.

"You want to work on hand to hand combat or with weapons?" Richard asked.

I walked over to the weapons rack and picked out my regular weapon I used. Since I didn't like using modern weapons Richard had managed to find some medieval weapons like swords and spears. The weapon that I had picked out was one that Richard had gotten custom made for me.

It was his brilliant idea that I needed a long range weapon in case I got attacked by gunmen or something so he wanted to get me a whip. I hadn't liked the idea because it made me feel a little too much like Catwoman. I wanted to learn how to use a sword, so we compromised and I ended up getting a custom made sword whip.

The blade was shaped like a regular katana and had a blade of almost two feet. Embedded in the handle was a button that I could push to activate the whip which extended to about four feet.

"Alright then," Richard said grabbing his own, regular sword. "Let's only practice with the sword part. I don't feel like getting flayed today."

I grinned and nodded before taking up my stance.

Entering my room I collapsed onto my bed in exhaustion. Richard and I had practiced up until dinner time with only one break, so needless to say I was tired, sore and cranky. I frowned when Richard entered a few seconds later. What did he want now?

"You forgot this," Richard said tossing my sword at me. I caught it in surprise and looked up at him.

"You need to clean it," Richard said. "You do have the cleaner up here don't you?"

I nodded.

"Ok well bring it back down when you're done," Richard said. "Or don't, it's your choice. Just make sure that Bruce doesn't know it has it up here ok?"

I nodded again. _I'll stick it in my closet._

"You joining us for dinner?" Richard asked.

I shook my head no and walked over to my desk where I kept the cleaner.

"Alright," Richard said waking it the door. "See you later."

Taking the blade slowly out of the scabbard, I ran my finger along the flat of the blade feeling the near seamless edges of where the pieces fit together. When in whip mode the pieces where roughly a few inches apart. Getting out the oiling cloth I slowly started to run it up and down the length of the blade, careful not to cut myself. Once I was done cleaning it I put the oiling cloth away and put the scabbard with the sword in it, in the closet.

Flopping back down onto my bed I suddenly remembered the card that Max had given me earlier today. Opening my backpack I grabbed the envelope and opened it. Pulling out the card I was surprised to find that it didn't really look like a birthday card at all. It was shaped like a regular card, but the front was unadorned and was a plain white. It was rather heavy and thick though, probably was one of those cards that had a recording audio things.

Opening the card I slammed it shut almost immediately when I heard maniacal laughter emit from it, like Joker maniacal. I threw the card back onto my bed and stared at it. Why would Max give this to me? Was he working with them? He didn't seem like that type of person, but then again, I barely knew him. Cautiously, I picked the card back up and opened it slowly. I was met with the same laughter again before I actually heard the rest of the audio.

"Hello Ridley Wayne!" A voice cackled, and I assumed it was Joker. "We heard that it was your birthday tomorrow so we wanted to wish you well and hope that it'll be extra special!" He laughed again. "Don't worry about little Maxie, he didn't know what this was! We merely dropped it off at his house with a note telling him to give this to you. By the way, Eddie wanted to tell me to give you another riddle! So here it is: **_'I never was, am always to be. No one ever saw me, nor ever will, and yet I am the confidence of all to live and breathe on this terrestrial ball.'_** Well that was dull. Tootaloo!" The recording abruptly cut off.

Ok. What. The. Fuck. Was that. I was confused. A million questions crowded my mind. Like how did they know it was my birthday tomorrow? And what did they mean the hoped that it'd be special? And what was with that other riddle? Obviously I was going to end up in some deep, deep, deep shit.


	4. 【4】

The next morning I got out of bed not believing that I was now 18. Walking over to my closet to find something to wear I passed by the card that I had gotten yesterday. I wanted to pass it off as silly but something stopped me from doing so. Why had they targeted me? They didn't know that Bruce was Batman, did they? I just had to be sure to be on my guard for the day, which completely sucked because it was supposed to be a day of relaxation, except the fact t that I had to go to school. There should be a rule that once you turn 18 you don't have to deal with high school anymore.

I put on my favorite shirt that read ' _Come to the dark side, we have cookies_ ' and then pulled on a pair of blue jeans before grabbing my backpack and heading downstairs. Entering the dining room I tried to suppress a smile when I saw that it was decorated; badly. Clearly Richard tried to decorate based on the drooping streamers and the crooked 'Happy Birthday' sign on the wall.

"There's the birthday girl!" Richard said entering the room. He was grinning from ear to ear like a maniac. I just rolled my eyes; it wasn't that big of a deal, was it?

"What the heck?"

I turned around to see Bruce and Alfred enter the room. Bruce looked slightly confused.

"Did you forget that it was her birthday?" Richard asked.

"Of course not," Bruce said, "I'm just surprised by... you do this?"

"Yep!" Richard said cheerfully. "Go on and sit down Ridley. It may be your birthday but you still have to go to school."

Jee, thanks for reminding me. I sat down and started to put food on my plate.

"Happy birthday miss Ridley," Alfred said, and I nodded in thanks as Bruce sat down across from me.

"Ridley," he said after a moment. "Now that you're old enough, would you want to come with Richard tonight?"

I glanced sharply up at him and nodded. To finally be able to join the infamous duo Batman and Robin in saving Gotham from criminals? You didn't have to ask twice.

"I was afraid of that," Bruce said letting out a sigh. "Know this, I am still against you coming with us, but I'm afraid that I'll keep getting bugged by Richard until I let you."

I grinned at Richard and silently thanked him for bugging Bruce until he caved. Richard and Bruce both knew that that accompanying them on their nighttime excursions was something that I'd always wanted to do. After all, it was the family business.

"Bruce also wanted to give you something else for your birthday," Richard said prodding Bruce in the shoulder.

"Yes, I did," Bruce said, "I've kept it since the day I found you and figured that I should probably give it to you now."

He handed me a chain with a rectangular piece of metal attached to it. Taking it I turned int around in my hands and saw the very faded and rusty letters etched into it. It was the dog tag that Bruce had found me holding when he had found me, the tag that belong to the dog that I was named after; the one I couldn't remember.

"You like it?" Bruce asked, looking at me carefully.

I nodded as tears started to well up in my eyes. _Thank you, this is the best gift ever._ Now that I had it perhaps I could start figuring out what my life was like before Bruce found me; when I was six.

Putting it on, I tucked it under my shirt. I didn't need the kids at school noticing it and making fun of me.

"You ready to go?" Richard asked.

I nodded and quickly finished my breakfast and getting up to leave.

"Bruce finally agreed that we could take the motorcycle," Richard said happily as we entered the garage.

 _Awesome_. I grabbed my leather jacket which was hanging in s peg and put it on before climbing on to the motorcycle behind Richard. I cling tightly to him as we made our way from the manor and eventually into the busy streets of downtown Gotham.

"Hope you have a better day at school," Richard said once we got to school. "Remember your training, Ridley. Maybe then those assholes will get the beating they deserve."

I nodded in agreement. Next time I wouldn't panic and forget, but hopefully there wouldn't be a next time.

Walking into the school I suddenly felt very self conscious, more than usual. People were openly staring now and whispering amongst themselves. Trying to ignore it I made my way to my locker only to be stopped by Astrid Greene, Gotham High's most popular girl and all around Bitch.

"Hey Ridley," she said with a smirk. I simply ignored her and tried to step around her but she blocked me. "I just want to talk." She snickered.

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms, clearly she wasn't going to let me go anywhere. _What do you want?_

"Awe, there's no need to look at me like that," Astrid said with a pout. "I just wanted to make sure that you were ok after yesterday."

Yeah right.

"Because of that I took the liberty of telling the school counselor about your... Problems," Astrid smirked as she looked at me.

She did what!? That was none of her business! Of course it was Astrid we were talking about. She made it her job to meddle in everyone's business.

"Anyways," Astrid said flipping her blonde hair over her shoulder. "The office told me to tell you that you're supposed to go there now."

I glared at her, desperately wanting to flip her off. Just who did she think she was?

"You might as well go," Astrid said with a sweet smile. "Don't want to get into trouble now do you?"

Scowling I turned around and made my way towards the office just as the bell rang for first period. Getting to the office, the lady at the front desk pointed me in the direction of the counselors office which was down the hall aways behind her. Knocking on the door I heard someone say enter, before hearing a giggle. What the heck? I was pretty sure that the counselor was a woman, and judging by giggle something else was going on.

Steeling my nerves I opened the door and stepped inside to see three people standing there. It took me a split second to realize who those people where. One woman was standing in the corner and was wearing straight black with a whip attached to her hip. I didn't need to see the cat ears to know that it was Catwoman. The other woman was the easiest to identify with her red and black outfit, Harley Quinn. The meant that the one standing in the corner in green was Riddler. Great, what did they want with me? Backing up I turned around and tried to run out the door only to be blocked by Two-Face.

"You're not going anywhere," he growled, shutting the door and standing in front of it barring my escape.

"Besides," Harley said, "you have an appointment with the doctor." She let out a giggle. So she was the one that had giggled earlier.

The desk chair then turned around to reveal one Jonathan Crane, aka Scarecrow. Of course he had his mask on so I couldn't see his face, but if was pretty obvious who if was. "Tell me," he said. "What are you afraid of?"

Shit why did I always get into trouble? It seemed that the world was against me. _Remember your training_. I thought, crouching down to launch an attack. But before I could do that someone grabbed my arms and held them behind my back.

"Not so fast," a voice said. "Riddle me this: _**No sooner spoken than broken**_."

"Enough with the riddles Eddie," Harley said, "we need to leave before they realize that we are here."

"Fine," Riddler relented, "but I'm not letting her go. It's a good thing that she can't talk."

Damnit! I needed to get out of here.

"Aww," Catwoman cooed. "Looks like the poor kitten is stuck. Can't call for help, can you?"

Struggling I kicked Riddler in the leg and he let out a curse. "Let's just get this over with," he growled.

"With pleasure," Scarecrow said with a smile. He stood up and made his way towards me, pulling a syringe out of his pocket. "This won't hurt a bit he said approaching me as I struggled trying to escape. "Well, I can't promise that you won't be affected by what ever emotional trauma you receive though," he chuckled. "Good night Ridley Wayne."

He stuck the syringe in my arm and I passed out.


	5. 【5】

**Edward's P.O.V.**

I released my grip on the girl's arms as Jon injected her with fear toxin and ended up supporting her weight as she slumped against me.

"That was just too easy," Jon said.

"Well it helps if our victims doesn't speak, doesn't it?" Selina pointed out.

"I was hopin' for a bit more action, ya know?" Harley remarked.

"You might still get that," I said with a sigh, "It was easy to get in here but it'll be harder now since we got what we needed."

"We need to get out of here now," Harvey said, or was it Two-Face?

"How?" Harley asked, "we can't go out the way we came in!"

"That's why we are going out the front," I said with a scowl. Honestly I could barely stand Harley Quinn, she had the IQ of a rock.

"Ya think that's wise?" Harley asked, getting on my nerves.

"Let's just get out of here," Jon said picking up on my mood.

"Righty o!" Harley said before kicking down the door that lead to the office.

I picked up our prize and followed behind her. The girl, Ridley, was slightly shaking and she let out a groan of pain. I smiled grimly. John's fear toxin could bring Batman to his knees, what would it do to her? Especially if what the press says is true. What kind of name was Ridley anyways?

"Come on Ed," Jon said walking past me and slipping on his mask. "We don't need you falling behind do we?"

I scowled at him and said nothing. Bursting into the main office I saw that Harley was on top of the desk holding her gun.

"Drop to the floor!" She yelled. "And don't ya think about callin' the police!"

She then did the most surplus thing ever; she fired her gun. Jeez, didn't she ever learn? You were threatening the people in the room but the building was full of people. They would hear the gunshot and call the police. Cursing under my breath I turned toward the entrance of the school. We need to get out of here before the police came otherwise things would get ugly.

It appeared that the others were having the same idea, as John practically dragged Harley off of the desk and followed me out.

"Hey!" Harley yelled. "Getcha hands off me or Mishta J will hear about it!"

Jon released Harley and then turned to me, "Let's go."

We all ran towards where we had parked our getaway ban and piled in. Harvey got behind the wheel and started the engine before peeling away.

I settled down on one of the seats and laid Ridley down so that her head was in my lap and studied her. Her dark brown hair was slightly wavy and rather long, a round face with a small mouth. Rather plain look if you ask me. A smile tugged only my lips when I read what her shirt said: ' _Join the dark side, we have cookies'._ I made a mental note to get some later. I was planning on announcing the option of making her a part of our 'family'. I knew Joker seemed interested and that he'll probably agree and anything he did Harley went along with.

"We went to a lot do trouble to get this girl," Selina said studying Ridley. "I don't get it, what's so special about her?"

"Ida know," Harley said with a shrug. "Eddie and Mishta J seemed interested in her so..."

"Nothing's special about her," Jon said with a short laugh. "Eddie just saw them talking about her on TV and got interested. You know he can't resist a good riddle."

"That's not true," I argued. "She can be valuable to us, she's Bruce Wayne's daughter. She probably knows at least something about Wayne Enterprises. And if not, it's just one more person that we can take hostage."

"Whatever you say," Jon said with a smirk.

I was about to open mouth with a reply when the van turned a sharp corner and we all went flying into the side of it. I crashed into the side of the van and let out a grunt. Ridley ended up slamming into me and then fell to the floor.

"Watch it!" Selina hissed, bracing her hand against the wall.

"Whatever!" Harvey yelled. "The police are on our tail! I don't know how they caught up to us this fast."

"Maybe it's because we're racing through the streets of Gotham," I muttered, as I straightened and reached down to pick Ridley up. She was still out cold and was sweating profusely.

"Don't you think it's odd?" Jon said.

"What's odd?" I asked.

"I injected her with fear toxin and yet she's not screaming. Usually the victims are so afraid they end up screaming bloody murder."

"Well aren't we lucky that she's not doing that," Selina said darkly.

"Yes," Jon said, "it would've made things more difficult. Maybe she really is mute."

"You just basing that off of what was on the news," I said shaking my head. "Most of what they are saying probably isn't even true. They're so simple minded that they can't tell the truth from lies."

"Then how do you explain why she wasn't talking or at least screaming for help when he kidnapped her?" John asked.

"Easy," I said, "it was shock."

"Really?" Jon said. "And if you're wrong?"

"I'm never wrong," I said confidently, "I am The Riddler."

We all froze when we heard Ridley moan and attempt to roll over, I caught he before she could fall again.

"Well at least we know she capable of making sound," Jon remarked. "So maybe she's not completely mute. Maybe it's something she chose."

I nodded absentmindedly as I noticed something on her back. Pulling up her shirt a bit I realized that her back was littered with several scars. Anger shot through me that I don't completely understand the origin of.

"Feeling her up already Eddie?" Harley asked with a snicker.

"Of course not," I retorted. "I just noticed this on her back, look."

The other leaned forward and Selina let out a gasp.

"Where'd she get those scars?" Her voice grew cold, it was a voice of a mother cat that just found out that her kitten was hurt.

"They look like the work of Zsasz," Jon said studying them. "But he hasn't been around for 12 years..."

"Are there more?" Selina asked in a low voice.

"Given the state of her back and knowing how Zsasz is, we can assume that there are," I said with an edge on my voice.

"12 years?" Harley said. "I think I remember Mishta J saying something about how the Bat saved a little girl from Zsasz's clutches about 12 years ago."

I was surprised that Harley remembered something like that, she barely remembered what happened a week ago.

"So if that's true, we can assume that the little girl that Batman saved is Ridley?" Jon asked.

"For now yes," I decided. I could get more out of her once she woke up. After putting her through some rigorous testing.

"That means that she was six when this all happened!" Selina hissed. "A child! How could Zsasz?"

"It's Zsasz," Jon said with a shrug. "He does that type of thing all the time."

"We need to protect her if he comes back," Selina said looking at me. "Make her one of us."

"I never thought that you'd say anything different," I said with a smirk.

"You planned this!" Jon accused. "You wanted to make her one of us!"

"Of course," I said leaning back with a smug look on my face. "We need some new blood."

"Do ya think that she'd wanna join us?" Harley asked.

"I don't know," I said truthfully. "It's possible that she won't but we have ways of persuading her if it comes to that."

"You think that's wise?" Harvey asked from the front. "She is Bruce Wayne's daughter after all, adopted or not. She could contact him and tell him where we are!"

"That's the very reason why Jon injected her with the fear toxin!" Selina said sounding exasperated. "We won't disclose where we are to her until we know that we can trust her."

"Heads or tails..." Harvey muttered as he turned his attention from the road to his pocket.

"Keep your eyes on the road!" Jon and Selina yelled as the van came really close to veering off the bridge.

Harvey chuckled but did as they asked.

"Good thing that we lost the police," he said peering at the rear view mirror. "I was worried that we'd need to drive around aimlessly to shake them off our tail. Not a good thing to do when we have a guest with us."

"I didn't think that you cared about her wellbeing," Jon remarked.

"I don't," Two-Face snapped, turning off the bridge and heading towards our hideout I the outskirts of Gotham. "I merely don't want to end up in Arkham. That is all."

Stupid politicians where so two-faced it wasn't even funny, and with Harvey that term could be taken literally.

Pulling the ban into a warehouse that we used as a garage, Harvey killed the engine and got out. Opening the rear door I picked Ridley back up and made my way into the main building. I only hoped that she would want to join us.

 **A/N: Hello readers! I hope you're enjoying the story so far~**

 **You may have noticed that the names of the chapters either don't make sense or are named after songs. I selected songs that I feel fit part, of not the whole chapter. Let me know what you think about the selections!**

 **Cheers!**


	6. 【6】

**Third Person P.O.V.**

 _The world was pitch black and Ridley could not see anything in front of her at all. She sensed that someone, or something, was stalking her. Hearing a growl coming from behind her, Ridley started running out of fear. Sticking he arms out blindly as she ran she could hear the monster chasing after her._

 _Suddenly Ridley found herself airborne and then started to fall. She landed heavily into a chair and a light flickered on. Footsteps headed towards her and Ridley tried to move on to find that she was restrained. A man wearing all black and a bald head came into the light and Ridley recognized him as Zsasz. Fear shot through her when she noticed that he was holding a knife with a blade the length of her hand._

 _"Hello," Zsasz said approaching her. "Let's play a game shall we?" He moved the knife so that it ran lightly against Ridley's arm. She shivered and tried to shy away. Zsasz laughed._

 _"Here's how the game works," he said with a twisted smile. "I cut you and if you scream you get another, deeper cut. This will go on until you don't scream at all; ok?"_

 _Ridley tried to twist away from him but failed to loosen her bonds. Zsasz dragged the blade against her arm and Ridley opened her mouth and let out a silent scream._

 _"Oh dear," Zsasz said with a frown. "I think we need to work on it some more."_

 _He kept cutting her, each cut deeper and deeper, until Ridley blacked out._

 _Eyes flickering open, Ridley found herself standing outside of Wayne manor. Flames roared from the building and she could feel the shearing heat touch her face. Something flew out of the building and landed at her feet. Ridley flinched away as the thing landed before peering forward to get a look. She recoiled in horror when she realized that it was Richards burned body._

 _Ridley frantically looked around for anything that could put the fire out and only found a cell phone lying in the dirt. Picking it up with shaking hands she tried to turn the phone on to no avail. She then wondered what she would have done if it did turn on._

 _"Ridley!" She heard Bruce yell from behind her._

 _Ridley turns around, the phone clenched in her hand, to see Bruce running towards her._

 _"How could you do this!?" Bruce yelled. "After all that Richard, Alfred and I did for you? Why burn down the manor?"_

 _What? Ridley was confused. She didn't set fire to anything!_

 _"You didn't even call the fire department!" Bruce roared. "And you would've been able to save Richard if you did! You're useless!"_

 _He slapped Ridley, causing her to hit the ground hard. She curled up into a ball and wished that none of this had ever happened._


	7. 【7】

**Ridley's P.O.V.**

Gasping I sat up and looked around frantically wondering where I was. I was met with a dull room with grey colored walls, a small window with a desk underneath and a rickety old bed that I was currently in. Where was I? Suddenly everything came back to me. School; the kidnapping; what must've been my fears via fear toxin. What did the villains of Gotham want with me?

Hesitantly I got out of the bed and winced as it let out a loud creak. Tiptoeing to the door I pressed my ear against it and listened intently. Nothing. Opening the door I was glad to find that it wasn't as squeaky as the bed. Slipping out into the hallway I quietly shut the door behind me and stared down the hall. The room I just came out of was at the very end and I saw at least two other doors lining the hall.

Walking, I studied each door as I came to it. The one on my immediate left was painted a bright green and had a purple question mark on it; Riddlers room then. The last one was a simple wood door with no decoration. I wonder who's that was. Reaching the end of the hallway I was met with a metal staircase. Halfway down them I stopped to listen; again nothing. Was it possible for me simply walk out if I wanted to?

Tiptoeing down the rest of the stairs, I froze when I heard laughter coming from one of the open doorways. Peering carefully into the room, I saw several people lounging around in what must've been the living room due to the several couches and chairs that dotted it as well as the ginormous flatscreen TV that took up the far wall. I identified several of the people, the infamous Joker with his pasty white skin and green hair was sitting in a chair with Harley perched on his lap, Poison Ivy was by one of the windows tending to a plant, and several others that I couldn't see very well as they all had their backs to me, were also there.

Holding my breath, I eased past the doorway and scurried down the hall. _There!_ The front door stood ten feet ahead of me. _Just a bit farther..._

"Just where do you think you're going?" A voice growled, a hand wrapping around my waist. Struggling, I twisted around to see Riddler. Amusement flickered across his face when I beheld him. It wasn't like I was afraid (I was, but only a bit), I was more... surprised. It was like when you finally got to meet a huge, well known celebrity for the first time: they're not as impressive, and a heck of a lot smaller in person. _What a disappointment._ I stomped on his foot and he let out a grunt but didn't let me go.

"That's it," he snarled as he dragged me back the way I came.

"Whatcha got there Eddie?" Harley asked as Riddler dragged me past the doorway. The others turned to stare and Riddler stopped.

"She tried to escape," Riddler growled, "I'm taking her back to her room."

 _To be locked away for good_ , I thought.

Here I was, kidnapped and held prisoner by these crazy psychos. Why did they do it? Did they think they could get me to talk and tell them that Bruce was Batman? I was 90% sure Riddler already knew, cause he, well he claims to know everything. At least that's what Bruce said. The majority of the time that he'd actually cornered Riddler, he'd gotten him to talk. Bruce said this made it considerably easier to catch him because he got so caught up in boasting about his intelligence that he didn't even notice it was a trap. Guess he wasn't that smart after all.

"Why dontcha bring her in ta say hi?" Harley pouted. We now had everyone in the room focused on us, well rather me, that is.

"Not yet," Riddler said, "I need to test how smart she is first."

"More like he wants to keep her for as long as possible before we can get our hands on her," I heard a voice mutter, which was the followed by a raucous round of laughter as Riddler dragged me away.

Passing the stairs that I had come down earlier, I began to wonder where Riddler was taking me. He said that he wanted to test how smart I was so maybe one of his infamous Challenge Rooms? I hoped it wasn't to hard, Bruce told me about one when he'd been forced to go through one and barely escaped with his life. If Batman could barely do one, the then meant that I'd never be able to do one. Dread sat heavy in my stomach as we approached a solid metal door with the number 1 on it.

"In you go," Riddler said, opening the door and shoving my through before slamming the door.

 _Hey wait a minute! You can't just leave me in here! Let me out!_ I turned around and started banging on the door. The room was dimly lit, but I didn't pay much attention to my surroundings as I continued to pound on the door. I paused when I heard the crackling of a speaker from somewhere above.

"Testing, testing, is this thing on?" Riddler's voice said over the speaker. "Ah no matter, welcome Ridley Wayne! Are you ready? Well, even if you weren't, you're still doing this! Let's get started."

I whipped my head around wildly trying to find where the sound was coming from and finally located it, in the top righthand corner of the room.

"Now, since we don't want you dying quuuite yet, this one'll be easy. At least by my standards! See the desk in the middle of the room?"

I glanced around and realized that there actually was a desk as he said. It's dull brown surface was scratched and faded looking. A solitary lightbulb hug from the ceiling directly above it, the only light source in the room. A single rickety chair sat in front of the desk, the chair legs appearing like they'd barely support my weight.

"Go over to the desk and sit down," Riddler continued, "in the drawer you'll find a pencil, a pencil sharpener, eraser, and your test."

Grudgingly I did as he said. Sitting down carefully in the chair, I opened the drawer, which let out a loud screech, and took out the supplies. The test was a packet that must've had 5 or more pages, I bet it was front and back to.

"Now that you have everything you need," Riddler said cheerfully, "I'll go over the somethings before you start. You will only have 1 hour to complete the six page test front and back. That's all."

I glared at the speaker and Riddler tsked.

"Don't give me that look," he said, "I could make this much harder for you, but I'm feeling nice so you're very lucky."

Of course he had cameras in this room. I rolled my eyes. Having an hour to finish the test would be hard, but not impossible, I had complete faith in myself.

"Little too confident hmmm?" Riddler mused, "better cut it down to 45 minutes."

 _Jackass!_

A timer descended from the ceiling, it's clock set at 45:00.

"Time starts now!"

 **A/N: Hello readers!~**

 **As you may have noticed, I change my username from _CrimsonDragonbane_ to _EmeraldWishes_. Taking inspiration from one of my fellow Wattpaders, I've decided to spice this story up a bit! Introducing Chapter Summaries! At the end of each chapter I will now be detailing the summary of the _next_ chapter! Also, please check my Profile for more detailed information on this story! It lists the pairings, why it's rated what it is, how many current chapters and most importantly, the next date I'll be updating!**

 _ **Chapter 7: Pressure**_

 _Summary:_ _Taking her test, Ridley struggles with several problems and barely finishes in time. Jon comes in while Edward is grading Ridley's test and catches Edward doing something he shouldn't be._


	8. 【8】

" _Acting on an anonymous phone call, the police raid a house to arrest a suspected murderer. They don't know what he looks like but they know his name is John and that he is inside the house. The police bust in on a carpenter, a lorry driver, a mechanic and a fireman all playing poker. Without hesitation or communication of any kind, they immediately arrest the fireman. How do they know they've got their man?_ "

 _What?_ I stared at the first question. I was expecting a riddle and instead I got a word problem? What kind of joke was this? I read the question again and rolled my eyes. If that was how he wanted to play then I'd go along, for now that is. After I minut of 5ought I jotted down the answer and moved on to the next one.

" _A man and his son are in a car crash. The father is killed and the child is taken to hospital gravely injured. When he gets there, the surgeon says, 'I can't operate on this boy—for he is my son!!!' How can this possibly be?_ "

I rolled my eyes, this was sooooo easy! Everyone has heard of this question, it was one of the most obvious answers ever. I glared where I knew the camera was. Was Riddler purposely going easy on me? If so, why? I scribbled down the answer and moved on to the next one.

The next several answers all varied in difficulty and I answered every single one of them, though I wasn't 100% sure if I got each of them right. By the time I got to the last problem,there was 5 minutes left on the clock. Shoot. I glanced at the problem:

" _U2 has a concert that starts in 17 minutes and they must all cross a bridge to get there. All four men begin on the same side of the bridge. You must help them across to the other side in under or at 17 minutes. It is night. There is one flashlight. A maximum of two people can cross at one time. Any party who crosses, either 1 or 2 people, must have the flashlight with them. The flashlight must be walked back and forth, it cannot be thrown, etc. Each band member walks at a different speed. A pair must walk together at the rate of the slower man's pace:_

 _Bono: 1 minute to cross_

 _Edge: 2 minutes to cross_

 _Adam: 5 minutes to cross_

 _Larry: 10 minutes to cross_

 _What is the shortest time needed for all four of them to cross the bridge?_ "

My hand was already cramping and I had less than 5 minutes now to finish this last question. Of course it was just a math problem, if not a complicated one. Shutting out the unnecessary words and facts, I focused on the numbers given and got to work.

"Times up!" Riddler said cheerfully just as I put my pencil down. I let out a yawn and stretched. Ha! Bet you didn't think I'd finish in time.

Hmmmm," Riddler said, "You actually finished on time! What a surprise! Since you managed to do that here's a bonus question: _What's black, white and read all over?_ "

I frowned; a bonus question? Why add that in? It was the only riddle that actually was in the test, or rather would be in the test. The rest of it was just random questions.

"Do you need me to repeat that?" Riddler asked.

I shook my head as a memory surfaced in my mind.

 _"I though for sure that we weren't going to catch Penguin this time," Bruce grumbled at the table. He speared a piece of fruit and took a bite. "We were lucky this time. I swear, every time we catch one of those Rogues they just get smarter each time."_

 _I rolled my eyes. It was the same ranting that Bruce went through each time he caught one of the Rogues and it was getting annoying. Richard shot me a knowing look from across the table and turned to Bruce._

 _"Hey Bruce, what's black, white and red all over?"_

 _"I'm not in the mood for riddles Richard," Bruce scowled, "I didn't need another Riddler."_

 _"Aw come on Bruce," Richard whined, "just answer the question."_

 _"I don't know the answer to it," Bruce said, "and even if I did I wouldn't answer you."_

 _"Come on," Richard persisted, "you never know when Riddler might capture you and ask you this very question. What's black, white and red all over?"_

 _Bruce grunted and Richard let out a sigh._

 _"Penguin in a blender," Richard said, "that's the answer! Cause he's always wearing black and white and if we stick him in a blender-"_

 _"We're not putting Penguin in a blender!" Bruce interrupted. "He's already in Arkham, where he belongs."_

I was drawn out of my thoughts by the sound of Riddler humming the _Jeopardy!_ theme. I made a face, how annoying! I scribbled down the question and then the answer before slamming the pencil on the desk and crossing my arms. _Happy now?_

"Excellent!" Riddler said, "now then there's a little mail slot in the wall on your left..."

I turned and saw what he was talking about. A steel mail slot, just big enough to slide my test in, was on the left wall.

"Slide your that into that mail slot and wait until I finish going over your answers."

I really had no choice except to do what he said so I put the test in the mail slot and then sat back down.

"This'll be done in a jiffy," Riddler told me, "hang tight for now though!" The speaker clicked off and I was left in complete silence.


	9. 【9】

**A/N: As promised, the answers to the questions! With the first one, the** **carpenter, lorry driver, and mechanic where all women! For the second one, the doctor was the boy's mother. And the third and longest one:**

 **1) Bono and Edge cross. (2)** **Bono returns. (1) Adam and Larry cross. (10) Edge returns. (2) Bono and Edge cross. (2)** **Total = 17**

 **Fun fact: this last riddle is used as an interview question at Microsoft. If you can answer it in five minutes or less, you are smart enough to work there! Seems like our Ridley is rather smart...**

 **Edwards P.O.V.**

I was lounging in my chair avidly playing a game of Mario Kart when out of the corner of my eye I saw the door open and Jon walk in.

"What do you want?" I asked, not taking my eyes off the screen. I sensed him walk over and stand next to me.

"What have you been doing holed up in here for two hours?" Jon asked, crossing his arms.

"I was going over Ridley's test answers," I said avoiding a banana peel. Ha! Did those stupid monkeys think a banana peel would stop me?

"You're playing Mario Kart," Jon pointed out with a frown. "How long are you going to have her just sit there?"

I gave a side glance at Jon and saw that he was observing Ridley through one of my surveillance cameras. Ridley was currently spinning the pencil between her finger looking utterly bored.

"I don't know," I said turning back to my game, "Oh drat." With my attention diverted, I'd managed to drive myself off a bridge. "Now look what you made me do," I said fully turning to Jon.

"You have more things to worry about than losing a game of Mario Kart," Jon said disapprovingly. "Why are you even leaving her in there? You did finish going over her test, didn't you?"

"I'm testing her patience," I said with a smirk. "And of course I finished going over her test."

Jon sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "How'd the test go then?"

"Surprisingly well," I said brightly, picking up the test from where I had put it on my desk and handing it to him. "Ridley's a very bright girl, though how she answered the last question had me a bit concerned. I don't think that we should let her near Penguin anytime soon."

"What do you mean by that?" Jon asked flipping through the pages.

"She answered the riddle ' _What's black, white and read all over_ ' with ' _Penguin in a blender_ '. Of course she wrote it down wrong to... it's supposed to be read not red."

"At least she gets points for creativity," Jon pointed out.

"She still got it wrong though..." I muttered, "the answer was supposed to be a newspaper."

"I wouldn't worry about her getting the wrong answer if I were you," Jon said, eyeing the screen. "She's beginning to look like a caged animal. The kind that will claw your eyes out if you attempt to open the cage."

I followed his gaze and saw that Ridley had started to pace the room, very much like a caged animal.

"I do suppose I should let her out now."

"Good luck with that. 50 bucks saying that she'll do you some bodily harm," Jon challenged.

"You're on," I said standing up, "let's go."


	10. 【10】

**A/N: Ok so I'm breaking my posting schedule this one time to rearrange chapters and whatnot. I decided that each chapter would be a different persons POV.**

 **Ridley's P.O.V.**

Pacing the floor of the room I was stuck in, I contemplated attempting to break the door down. Of course it was made of steel so I'd most likely do more harm to myself than the door; it couldn't hurt to try though, right? I scowled as I approached the door. Damn Riddler and his stupid test. Two hours was not "a jiffy", and I was getting tired of being stuck in a room with nothing to do. Scanning the surface I noted that the door didn't even have a handle. What the heck was I supposed to do now? Any hope of me getting myself out of here just went out the window.

Taking about a dozen steps back, I angled my shoulder towards the door before running towards it. Bracing for impact, I was surprised when the door opens right before I hit it. Unfortunately, because it was so unexpected, I had no time to stop and crashed head long into Riddler. Whoopty do.

We both landed on the floor with a crash and surprisingly Riddler made no move to get up. Whether it be because of shock or delayed reaction, I didn't know. Hearing someone above us snicker, my head jerked up to see a man wearing beige pants, a white top and glasses smirking down at us. His medium length brown hair fell into his face slightly and I hastily got to my feet, not feeling at all sorry when I stepped on Riddler's stomach, causing him to grunt in pain.

"Looks like you owe me 50 bucks," the man said as Riddler got up with a wince.

"That hardly counts as anything Jon," Riddler retorted, dusting himself off.

 _Jon...? Wait. That man was Scarecrow?_

"Why do you looks so surprised love?" Scarecrow drawled.

What did he just call me? Love? What a perv. I took a step back.

"I'm not a perv my dear," Scarecrow said with a smirk.

 _Ok. How the hell-_

"You're like an open book," Scarecrow said flippantly, "do try to not look too surprised. Reading facial expressions is just something I picked up being a psychologist."

"That's enough Jon," Riddler said, "you're probably creeping her out."

"Since when have you cared about me creeping people out?" Scarecrow demanded, turning to Riddler. "She's not creeped out, more like surprised; and you owe me 50 bucks."

"No I don't," Riddler said in annoyance. "She may have stepped on me, but it wasn't intentional."

"Trying to save your ego Edward?" Scarecrow smirked again.

"I'm staying the obvious," Riddler snapped back. "I felt no malicious intent when she stepped on me."

"So you're admitting that she stepped on you!" Scarecrow cackled. "Wait till I tell the others that the great Riddler got stepped on by a girl!"

"So you're admitting that I'm great?" Riddler asked with a smug look.

"No! I'm just- argh!" Scarecrow scowled at Riddler. "You're impossible."

"I'm the impossible one?" Riddler asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes!" Scarecrow said clearly frustrated.

I frowned as the two argued, they must've forgotten that I was there; great. I studied the two of the and noted that Riddler seemed to subconsciously shy away from Scarecrow. That was understandable, considering who Scarecrow was after all.

Scarecrow reminded me of someone, though I couldn't put my finger on it. I'd heard enough stories to be familiar with his ways, in reality, I knew enough about all the Rouges to be familiar with them. Not meaning that I'd feel comfortable around then of course.

"What are you looking at child?" Scarecrow said, his voice dropping to a dangerously low level. "Do I remind you of someone?"

 _No._

"Pretty liar," Scarecrow purred, "who do I remind you of?"

"Cut the crap, Jon," Riddler snapped. "What did you want in the first place?" You interrupted me for a reason, right?"

Scarecrow dragged his gaze from me and settled in on Riddler. "I interrupted your game of Mario Kart because Joker and the others wanted to meet Ridley. They decided sending me would be the best case scenario."

Mario Kart. I was stuck sitting a room for two hours because of MARIO KART!? Are you kidding me??? The nerve! I preceded to punch Riddler in the arm.

"Ow!" he yelled, grabbing his arm.

"Pay up time!" Scarecrow said gleefully, "That's 50 bucks for me!"

I turned and gave him my best 'Shut up' face before kicking him in the shin.

"What was that for?" he complained, rubbing his leg.

 _For being a dumbass._

"Erghhh," Scarecrow muttered, "let's just go and get the introductions over with..." He limped, exaggeratedly down the hall.

I shared a look with Riddler before jerking away and reluctantly followed Scarecrow with Riddler trailing behind.

I hovered reluctant to enter the living room as Jon just simply walked in. I stiffened when I felt Riddler hover directly behind me.

"You don't have to go in if you don't want to," he said in a low voice, "I could always have you take another test."

 _In your dreams_ , I scowled stepping away from him.

"Hey," he said catching my arm turning me to face him. "I was rather impressed with your test results."

I yanked my arm out of his grip, _oh really?_ I raised an eyebrow.

"100%," Riddler said, "you got them all correct."

 _Whatever_ , I twisted around and entered the living room. I only hoped that is make it out alive.

"--long enough Jonny," Harley was complaining as I inched in.

I managed to get a better look at the living room as I went deeper into it. The few couches that I'd glimpsed earlier where all occupied by various Rouges, and sadly, I of knew all of them. The room didn't have any windows and a few book shelves lined the walls, with a few lamps scattered throughout making the room a bit dark, but with an odd sense of comfort. It wasn't an ominous atmosphere at all. A huge flatscreen dominated the far wall framed by another set of shelves packed with DVDs.

"There's our little kitten," Catwoman said from the wall, peering at me through lidded eyes. She flicked a lazy hand towards the couches, "Sit."

I hesitantly eyed the couches and saw that each was occupied by at least one Rouge. There was no way I was sitting. Absolutely not.

"Sit by me," Scarecrow said, patting the seat next to him.

"Don't hog our guest, Jonny," Joker said, flashing me one of his infamous Joker grins. I visibly shuddered and inched away.

"You want to talk about hogging?" Scarecrow snorted. "Edward seems particularly invested in it."

"Jon..." Edward warned.

"Both of you shut up," a new voice growled. I jerked back as Two-Face emerged from one of the dark corners.

"Don't go around scarin' our guest," Harley told him, "that's Jonny's job."

Two-Face gave me a once over before letting out a grunt and turning away and walking out the door.

"Don't mind Harvey," Catwoman said, "Ivy will take care of him. Won't you Iv?"

She turned to the one Rouge that I hadn't noticed yet. Poison Ivy rolled her eyes before getting up from where she sat and followed Two-Face.

"Anyways," Joker said, "it's rude to stand when your guest offers you a seat."

"Like you've ever been polite in your life," Catwoman said sarcastically. "Besides, you're a guest to, this is Edwards and Jon's place."

Well that was just great.

Joker scowled at Scarecrow before turning his attention back to me, "Sit."

I did as he asked. Not because I was being polite, but because Joker scared me more than even Scarecrow did. I guess it was because I've heard more stories from Bruce about Joker than any other villain in Gotham.

Scarecrow smirked at me as I sat next to him. Riddler settled down next to me and I sat straight, back rigid, fully aware of the two dangerous men sitting on either side of me.

"Ah," Harley said, "Ain't this just borin'? Can we go Puddin'?" She glazed at Joker.

"Alright then," Joker agreed, "I have plans to finish my Bat Trap anyways." He cackled sending shivers down my spine. I hoped that Jokers trap, what ever it was, failed.

"Thanks for the hospitality," Joker said as he and Harley stood up to leave.

"See ya later Ridley!" Harley said brightly with a wave they both disappeared out the door.

Riddler, Scarecrow and Catwoman all visibly relaxed when the pair was gone. It wasn't until they'd relaxed did I realize how tense they were.

"I don't think introductions are necessary," Scarecrow began, "so we won't bother with them."

"Right to the point then," Riddler said with a nod. Back to business it seemed.

"I'm sure you're wondering why we brought you here," Scarecrow continued, "and the truth is... I have absolutely no idea."

What!? So they didn't kidnap me to make me tell them about Bruce? Then why...?

"It's really Edward that wanted to kidnap you," Scarecrow said, picking up on my thoughts easily. "We had to convince him to wait until your birthday. He's been wanted to bring you here for a while now, God knows why."

Right... It was my birthday. I was 18, and as a present I got kidnapped.

"You're making me sound like a pedophile," Riddler said straightening his glasses with a frown. "Can we just put that in the past? It was yesterday after all."

My birthday. Yesterday? Did I miss the whole day? I missed my whole birthday thanks to these assholes. I jerked forward, aiming to stand up, but Riddler pushed me back, only letting go when he was sure that I wouldn't try anything.

"You had us all very worried," Catwoman said leaning forward. "We weren't sure on how Jon's Fear Toxin would make you react."

"Obviously it's bring out her fears," Scarecrow said with an eye roll. "Tell me," he said with sudden interest, "what was it like? Your fear."

"She can't answer you," Riddler said in an exasperated tone, "She's mute."

"But she can write, can't she?" Scarecrow pointed out.

 _Of course I can. I'm not illiterate_. I gave him a pointed look.

Something nagged the back of my mind. I'd never used writing as a form of communication per se. I only used it when working on school stuff or just simply writing, but never communication. It bugged my now that I couldn't figure it out. Maybe because it'd take to long to write out what I wanted to say?

"Looks like you've run into a problem," Scarecrow remarked, reading my expression.

"What about sign language then?" Riddler asked. "That'd be more efficient than writing."

I had a flashback to my 6th grade year when Bruce had suggested the same exact thing. He'd gotten me one of the best teachers to teach me and I'd gone along with the classes until high school. By then I was sick of having someone follow me around everywhere just so they could translate for me. I'd stopped using sign language then, choosing to return back to what I usually did as my form of communication; which basically meant others trying to guess what I was trying to get across.

"Can you even read sign language?" Scarecrow demanded.

"Of course," Riddler said haughtily. "I'm the smartest being on the plant."

 _Yeah, whatever you say, Einstein._

Scarecrow let out a snort and quickly covered it up with a cough.

"You alright Jon?" Catwoman asked.

"Fine," Scarecrow said, clearing his throat. "I'm fine."

"So can you use it?" Riddler asked me.

 _Sort of_ , I signed after a moment of thinking. The problem with sign language was that if you didn't practice it, you forgot it quickly.

"So you can use it!" Scarecrow said, "why not use it now then?"

 _I don't know_ , I signed. My hands and fingers felt clumsy and slow after not practicing for so long.

"Edward?" Scarecrow asked, looking at Riddler for a translation.

"She doesn't know," Riddler informed him.

"Well you see the problem is," Scarecrow said, "is that you're using it now."

I scowled at him and bit my thumb.

"What did she say?" Scarecrow asked Riddler.

"Nothing you couldn't translate yourself," Riddler said with a smirk. "I believe she just flipped you off."

"She would've had to raise her middle finger though," Scarecrow said with a frown. "She didn't do that."

"No, she didn't," Riddler agreed, "however, in Shakespeare's _Romeo and Juliet_ , Capulet's servant starts a fight with Montague's servant by biting his thumb. The gesture can be interpreted as being equivalent to giving someone the finger."

 _I can actually flip you off the English way if you want._

Scarecrow scowled.

"Now now boys," Catwoman said, "stop the fighting."

"We're not fighting," Scarecrow growled.

"I was merely educating Jon here on something he should know." Riddler added.

"Like anyone but you would want to know such useless information," Scarecrow snapped.

"It's certainly isn't useless!" Riddler sneered. "You just don't want to admit that you think I'm smarter than you!"

"Being smart doesn't keep you from being a complete ass!" Scarecrow shot back.

"Men are so rowdy," Catwoman tsked. "Those two are always arguing like an old married couple," she told me. "I honestly wonder why they chose to live together."

"We do not!" Scarecrow said shrilly, his face flushing. Huh. I didn't think someone like Scarecrow was eve capable of making such a high pitched sound.

"And we live together to cut expenses," Riddler pointed out.

"We'll leave you to your lovers spat," Catwoman said, walking over and pulling me up from off the couch. "I want to show Ridley her new room."

New room? What?

"Come along kitten," Catwoman said, guiding me out of the room, "I feel like you'll be very comfortable. I decorated it myself."

I shot a worried glance at Riddler and Scarecrow before I realized what I was doing and faced forward again. There was something comforting about Catwoman, I didn't know what made me feel that way around her. Maybe it was because she wasn't a true Rouge? Ok, she did steal things as got put in Arkham from time to time, but she never did anything on a scale like the others did. And she used to knew Bruce, or rather Batman.

"It's ok," Catwoman said, "none of us will hurt you despite what you must be thinking." She gave me a smile, "you can refer to me as Selina if you wish to."

Selina. A first step in trust, for both of us. Well, mainly me in the sense that I trust her by calling her by her actual name.

 _Uh sure_ , I shrugged.

"Come along then," Selina said briskly walking up the stairs, "I'll get you settled. You'll just love what I did to that ratty old room Edward dumped you in when we brought you here."

I reluctantly followed her, actually interested in what the room would be like.


	11. 【11】

**Jon's P.O.V.**

"That went well." Edward grunted, frowning at me. "Why do you insist on acting like an ass?"

"Me? Acting like an ass?" I said, " _you're_ the one who's acting like one."

"This is getting nowhere." Edward growled, standing up. "I'm leaving."

"Running away are you?" I asked lip curling. "What a typical thing of you to do."

I watched in satisfaction as Edward stiffened and turned around. It was so fun baiting him, mainly because it worked every time. Edward may be book smart, but he was awful with everything else. I loved seeing him riled up like this.

"What did you just say?" Edward said slowly turning around.

"I asked if you're running away." I said lazily, knowing that it'd infuriate him more. Unfortunately, I was disappointed.

"Of course not." Edward snorted, his eye twitching. "I never back down from a challenge."

"Am I a challenge for you?" I asked standing up and tilting my head.

"In what way do you mean?"

I opened and closed my mouth in surprise. I was not expecting him to say _that_. It was more suggestive than anything I've heard him say before, but it could've been me reading into it to much.

"Finally speechless Jon? You run your mouth to much. It's nice to see you quiet for once."

"Bastard." I spat, glaring at Edward.

"What a creative insult." Edward said sarcastically. "I would say something in return but I don't engage in mental combat with the unarmed."

Edward met my gaze, held it and I knew exactly what this had become. The problem was that neither of us would be willing to back down easily. I however, wouldn't back give in as easily as Edward would think. I knew from the past that I was more dominate than Edward, he was just too soft. True to what I predicted, Edward slowly slid his gaze from mine and looked away.

"You guys aren't doing your stupid Male Dominance thing again are you?"

I turned my head to see Selina and Ridley walk back in. "I don't know what you mean." I said, tilting my head.

"Sure you don't." Selena said with a snort. "They always do this," she told Ridley. "You leave them alone for two minutes and they go at it."

"Jon's just cranky because he hasn't had his afternoon nap yet." Edward said, smirking.

I was 90% sure that steam was coming out of my ears now. I was frustrated and annoyed by how Edward was acting. He was first mad, than then confused and now he was teasing me. Argh!

"Why don't you go and sleep?" Edward suggested.

 _Only if it's with you_ , my mind whispered. My face flared and I quickly looked away.

"Yeah sure, whatever." I grumbled, silently cursing myself. I prided myself with being able to keep my emotions in check and here Edward was, tearing them apart piece by piece. The most infuriating part of it? He wasn't even trying to.

I stomped off, perhaps a bit more childish than necessary, leaving the others in the living room.

Entering my lab and shutting the door, I leaned against it before letting out a sigh and running a hand through my hair. Adjusting my glasses, I ambled over to one of the several tables that were strategically placed around the room. Picking up a vial of Fear Toxin, I rolled in between my fingers thinking.

I needed to further my research and figure out why Ridley didn't have any _outward_ reaction to the Fear Toxin. There were many things that could've been wrong, a wrong measuring of chemicals in the making of it possibly, or something else. I doubted that I measured the chemicals wrong, it was the same formula that I've been using for years now. I'd need to figure out a way to subject Ridley to the Fear Toxin again. Thousands of ideas of how to do that flooded my mind, the only issue was that I knew Edward wouldn't stand for any of it.

Edward seemed unusually fascinated by Ridley and it ticked me off. He was only interested in her because of her past and the huge fuss the press made of her now and again. Once he figured her out he'd dump her and then move on to his next 'Puzzle'. _But what if he doesn't?_ A nasty little voice spoke in the back of my mind. _What if he keeps her. Falls in love with her? Then what will you do? You won't be able to touch her then, or get rid of her. Edward would never speak to you again._

"What should I do then?" I asked aloud.

 _Get rid of her while you still can,_ the voice urged. _It might not be to late._

"But what if it is?" I muttered. "Selina's already taken to her, so is Edward. They'd _both_ be on my case if I tried anything."

 _Say it's for your research,_ the voice suggested. _It is after all; a perfect excuse._

"You've got a point..." I mused. "But I know Edward wouldn't approve of it."

 _Who cares what Edward thinks? You don't need_ his _approval to do anything. Take her, and then gas her. Once Edward finds out, it'll be to late for him to do anything._

Of course that was true as well, but then what? He's been ok with most of my research in the past, but if it was Ridley I'd be experimenting on? Who knows what he'd do or how he'd act. It was to dangerous right now to do anything.

I scowled at my conflicting thoughts. I hated this, this second guessing. The actual rethinking of my plans(as in wondering if I should do it), actually being worried about what others would think. I knew I'd never tell anyone about my possible feelings for Edward, though I was pretty sure some suspected them.

"ARGH!" I yelled, slamming the vial of Fear Toxin on the table. The glass shattered under my fingers and I jerked my hand back swearing, "Fuck."

I'd forgotten about how fragile the vials were. I had purposely designed them to be easily breakable so I could just throw them at unsuspecting civilians. Of course those were ones filled with the gaseous form, not the liquid one.

Why had I put the Fear Toxin in the wrong container? The last time I'd filled up was... right before we'd gone out to kidnap Ridley. Edward had come in to my lab to see if I was ready to go and had distracted me by talking. Typical Edward. I could blame his not-so-sorry (and might I add amazingly good looking) ass on all of this. Grrr! I didn't need those types of thoughts going through my head again!

I jumped slightly when I heard someone knock on the door, "Jon, are you ok in there?"

Edwards voice sounded slightly muffled through the wood and my scowl deepened.

"Fine!" I yelled peevishly. "I'm fine."

"You sure?" Edward asked.

"Yes!" I said, slamming my hand down on the table for emphasis.

There was a sharp pain in my hand and I realize that I did a very bad, and very stupid thing. I now could officially say that Edward would be the death of me. The door opened just as I pitched sideways and the last thing I saw was Edwards concerned face before I was enveloped in darkness.

Stupid, Idiotic Edward Nygma.


	12. 【12】

**A/N: Sorry for this chapter being late! Yesterday was hectic. I hope you enjoy this.**

 **Ridley's P.O.V.**

"You really shouldn't goad Jon on like that Edward," Selina told Riddler. "You know how he gets when you do that."

"He needs to grow up then," Riddler said dismissively. He had a funny look on his face like he couldn't decide between feeling sorry or annoyed. "Besides, he started it."

"Now who's sounding childish?" Selina chided. "Honestly, if I didn't come over to check on them once or twice a week they'd kill each other." Selina turned to me, "but now you're here Ridley! I'll finally be able to get out and about again."

Oh goodie, I got to watch them to make sure they didn't kill each other in the future. Maybe I should get let them go at it, save Batman and the police the trouble and resources needed to keep them in Arkham.

"Hmmm," Selina said titling her head and studying me. "On second thought, I might stop in once a week or so. Ridley might get into trouble."

"No she won't," Riddler said, "I'll keep an eye on her."

"Edward, do you remember the last time you said you'd keep an eye on someone?" Selina asked. "It was poor Query. She ended up being used for Jons 'Research'."

"I remember," Riddler admitted. "I was distracted because Echo had-"

"The point is that you're completely hopeless when 'keeping an eye' on others." Selina interrupted. "I might need to come in more often speaking of Jon and his 'Research' now that I think about it."

"Jon has a fondness of using people to experiment on with his Fear Toxin," Riddler explained to me. "It gets quite annoying."

"He particularly likes it when something with his Toxin goes wrong," Selina added. "You need to be carful around him Ridley."

 _Why?_ I gave her a confused look.

"You're subjection to the Fear Toxin was one that made all of us very surprised and curious." Riddler said. "You didn't show a lot of _physical_ reaction to the Toxin, I personally think it's because you're mute. Have you always been that way?"

 _I don't know_ , I signed, shrugging helplessly. It was true, I didn't remember anything before Bruce had saved me. Of course there was that possible memory from when I was injected with the Fear Toxin, but that could've been just something my brain had made up, right? It seemed so real though... I shivered subconsciously.

"Are you ok Ridley?" Selina asked.

I nodded, waving my hand. _Fine._

"You sure?" she asked, "because I was certain that-"

She was interrupted by a yell of anger coming from the direction that Scarecrow had gone.

Riddlers face tightened, "That'd be Jon having problems again."

"Do you think we should go check on him?" Selina asked, concerned. She really was the mother cat out of all of them, wasn't she?

"He's probably fine," Selina said.

"He could've had some Fear Toxin blow up in his face," Riddler pointed out. "It wouldn't be the first time. He's always being so _careless_ with it. I keep telling him to be careful; he just ignores me."

"Fine," Selina sighed. "But if he lashes out, it's your fault."

I trailed behind both of them as they made their way to what must've been Scarecrows lab. I had to admit that I was fairly curious to see the Rouges work spaces. Not even Bruce had seen them. He'd seen the _products_ of their efforts, all of Gotham had, but not their personal lairs.

Riddler, being either polite or cautious, knocked on the door, "Jon, are you ok in there?"

"Fine!" I heard Scarecrow yell, not sounding 'fine' at all. "I'm fine."

"You sure?" Riddler asked.

"Yes!"

"He's not fine," Riddler decided after a second. He opened the door and I saw that Scarecrow was falling sideways.

"Shit," Riddler cursed, hurrying to catch Scarecrow before he hit his head on the cement floor. "I _knew_ that this would happen."

He gently guided Scarecrow to the floor and sat down next to him with a worried look on his face.

"I told him to be careful. Even suggested that he figure out a way so that he'd be immune to his own Fear Toxin. I offered to _help_ him after it happened the last time but noooo, he had to be a stubborn ass and not listen to me."

"To be fair," Selina said, "nobody really listens to you."

Riddler scowled at Selina before turning his attention back to Scarecrow, "How the heck did this even happen?"

I walked over to the table that Scarecrow had been standing over before he fell and saw some broken glass in a puddle of liquid I assumed was Fear Toxin.

"Don't touch that!" Riddler barked, noticing it.

 _I'm not stupid_ , I signed at him.

"Of course you aren't," Riddler said automatically. "You got 100% on your test."

"We have more important things to worry about," Selina said, "he must've had the vial in his hand when it broke, his hand is cut. The Toxin must've entered his body that way." She pointed at Scarecrows left hand which was bleeding.

"Selina go get some band aids," Riddler ordered.

"Don't order me around," Selina hissed, but she did as he said and walked hurriedly out the door.

 _Does this happen often?_ I sign. But of course because of my current limited knowledge of sign language, it more came out like, _happen often?_ So much for complete sentences.

"No, thankfully," Riddler sighed. His face was pinched with concern and if I didn't know any better, I would've called it cute. "It only happened a few times before, but those were just malfunctions of his gear."

He gear. Of course. I was drawing a blank and had a stupid look on my face, but thankfully Riddler wasn't paying attention.

"We need to move him," Riddler muttered, more to himself. I studied Scarecrow who's face had gone deathly pale. Faint beads of sweat collected on his brow and he twitched.

"It's starting," Riddler said. "Ridley."

I glanced up at him. _Yes?_

"You're going to have to help me carry him into one of the spare rooms in the back."

 _Ummm... sure I guess?_ I wasn't to thrilled about the prospect but I guess I had no other choice.

"Grab his feet then," Riddler said, looping his arms underneath Scarecrows armpits and hoisting him up.

Having no other choice but to help, I grabbed Scarecrows ankles and followed Riddler to where ever he was taking him. I grunted under the weight. Who knew that someone so lanky and tall would be so damn _heavy_? I tottered along, fixing my grapes on Scarecrows ankles so I didn't drop them (though I most certainly felt like doing it. It wasn't like he didn't deserve it).

Riddler kicked a door open revealing a small dark room with and equally small dingy bed tucked in a corner. After dumping Scarecrow on the bed, Riddler let out a sigh.

"Well we at least got that done," he said with wiry grin. "Thanks Ridley."

 _Eh, no big deal_. I shrugged.

"I'll have Selina bandage him up," Riddler continued. "Let's go back to the living room. These walls are sound proof but I've found that even being in Jons' lab won't save you from hearing the screams."

Screams. Right. Victims of Scarecrows Fear Toxin screamed when they saw their fears. Obviously Scarecrow wasn't an exception.

We were just leaving the lab when Selina came back with some bandages, and she frowned at both of us.

"You're going to make me do it?" She asked Riddler disapprovingly.

"Ridley and I carried him into one of the spare rooms in the back," Riddler said with a shrug. "You're up."

I was reluctant to follow him then, but Selina shooed me away so I did. I followed Riddler into the living room and sat down on the couch arm as he settled down himself.

"He's such a complete idiot," Riddler complained, like he forgot that I was there. "he refuses help with anything that he obviously needs help on. Then when I don't offer help, he needs it and yells at me for not helping him."

I nodded, not really paying attention. Bruce had been the same way, always hovering around and asking if I needed help when I clearly did not. There was really nothing you could do with people like that.

 _Just leave him_ , I signed, _he'll come around . If he makes mistakes then it's his fault._

"I guess so," Riddler decided, "but I worry about him sometimes."

 _Why worry?_

"He's really my only good friend," Riddler explained. "I mean I suppose Selina and the others count as friends to, but Jons had my back for as long as I can remember. I would've gotten caught by Batman this one time if Jon hadn't ambushed him with Fear Toxin." A wistful look crossed his face, "That was when he was first starting out if I remember correctly. He hadn't gotten the formula for his Fear toxin right yet, and his aim was awful as well. Ended up gassing himself, but it bought me enough time to make a run for it."

He picked at a loose stitch on his shirt.

"Jon ended up going to Arkham instead of me and I felt bad enough that I eventually got him out."

 _You became friends then?_

"Oh no," Riddler chuckled. "We hated each other. Jon didn't like it that he'd been sent to Arkham because of me and I was mad because I risked my own skin to get him out."

 _Why not leave him?_ I asked.

"I felt obliged to get him out," Riddler said, leaning back on the couch. "I was the reason he got sent there in the first place."

I gave a slight nod and thought about what he had said. It made sense I guess, but knowing Riddler, that probably wasn't the full story. Most likely, he got Scarecrow out of Arkham partly because he felt he had to, but also so he didn't get on Scarecrows bad side.

"We hardly go a week without Selina or someone else breaking up a fight," Riddler said suddenly. "Selina was right with her saying that we'd kill each other; we most likely would."

 _Why do you argue?_

"We hardly ever agree on things," Riddler snorted. "I mean we do. but only when we need to. But why am I telling you all of this?" He gave me a side glance.

That was the issue with some people, they became comfortable around me and told me things they wouldn't normally tell others because they knew I wouldn't tell anyone else. I mean, that was partly why Bruce had told me he was Batman; he knew I wouldn't tell anyone. Or at least he thought so. Not that I would.

"It's like having a one sided conversation," Riddler mused, "no interruptions. Of course then the downside is that I end up rambling."

 _Gee thanks._ I rolled my eyes.

We were interrupted by Selina who walking in looking slightly frazzled.

"You're going in there next," she told Riddler. "There's no way that I'm going in there again. I'll probably claw his eyes out."

"It's that bad, huh?" Riddler asked, unaffected by Selina's attitude.

"Worse than last time," Selina said flopping down in a nearby couch. " I have no idea why."

Riddlers eyes brightened at her words, "Maybe we should go and figure out what he's afraid of then."

"Are you insane?" Selina hissed. "If he finds out you did that then he'd most certainly kill you."

"It's for his research," Riddler pointed out. "He can't get mad if it's for that."

Selina rolled her eyes at me before turning back to Riddler. "Somethings must be kept private," she said carefully. "Nobody knows what Jon's afraid of."

"That's why it'd be good for us to figure it out!" Riddler said. "He'd want us to."

"Maybe not," Selina said. "Don't go poking your nose into other people's business."

"What do you think, Ridley?" Riddler asked, turning to me.

 _Me?_ I widened y eyes, slightly taken aback. I don't think that I had a word in something like this. I flattened my hands and brought them up, curling my fingers inward. _Leave him._

"Oh although then," Riddler sighed. "I'll just ask him when he comes to."

"He'll bite your head off if you do that," Selina said exasperated. "Just leave him alone. He'll tell you if he feels like it."

"Fine," Riddler said crossing his arms and pouting.

Who knew that Gotham's most notorious villains acted like children?


	13. 【13】

**_*Two days later*_**

Two days passed after I had gotten kidnapped, and my boredom was never ending. There was nothing for me to do, at least something that I wanted to do. Riddler kept bugging me asking if I wanted to take one of his other tests. I had declined, not wanting to subject myself to that again.

It didn't really matter however, Riddler took it upon himself to reteach me sign language so that's what I did. Three hours a day and the rest of the time I was free to do what ever as long as I didn't leave. Riddler had very clearly expressed this to me, saying that there were traps and other things set up to deter anyone trying to break in; i.e Batman. That's why I was currently laying down on my bed staring at the ceiling.

I had been surprised when Selina had showed off the room I'd be staying in, if not a bit freaked out. The dingy room that I'd woken up in had been transformed into something that was actually livable in. The change wasn't why had freaked me out but rather the fact that it was full of my things. The Rouges must've raided the manor to get a lot of it, then Selina said that she'd actually been the one that grabbed it all.

Since she did that, the room was filled with most of my stuff. Books, magazines, notebooks, a few posters of my favorite bands and artists, and my clothes. Apparently Selina figured that me having my clothes was most important because she'd grabbed _all_ of them. Even the ones I've never worn before. My brown comforter had been neatly placed on the bed along with my abundance of pillows with my lamp sitting next to it on a rickety side table.

Since the room had been reorganized, my bed was now parallel with the large window looking out over the docks. The upper floor was the only floor that had windows I'd discovered. I often found myself in my room a lot because I felt confined without any natural light to be seen. I was starting to feel confined to the building at it was however.

Not being allowed to go outside at all made me antsy. Normally I would've liked nothing better to stay indoors, but now I wanted to get out. Riddler and the others were going in an out all the time, with one of them staying to keep an eye on me to make sure I didn't try to leave.

I peered out the window and contemplated whether or not I should try to escape. Going out the front door was out of the question due to last times attempt, so my only option was to try and go out from the second floor. Luckily I had a window in my room so it kind of made it easier. I just needed to get down without breaking any bones.

Of course if I was going to walk around Gotham without being recognized or spotted (which was ideal), I'd need a disguise. Walking over to my closet, I rummaged through my clothes which I still hadn't taken out of the garbage bag they'd been put in.

Finding what I was looking for at the very bottom of the last bag (go figure), I shook it out and studied it carefully. A black turtle neck sweater, black jeans, and of course a black leather jacket. To any normal person it would've been a typical outfit, one that they wore often, but not to me. I favored graphic shirts that had some sassy/weird comments or references. The shirt I was currently wearing for example was one of those.

It was my ' _Pardon me, do you have any Grey Poupon?_ ' shirt that obviously referenced Wayne's World, the best movie ever in my opinion. The ironic thing was that the Rouges actually _had_ Grey Poupon for what ever reason. I had stumbled into the kitchen that morning tired from a bad nights sleep and Scarecrow had taken one look at my shirt before opening a cupboard and tossing a jar of the mustard at me. Typical of a sleep deprived teenager (not to mention that it was first thing in the morning, I hadn't even had my morning tea yet), my reaction time was slow and the jar slipped through my fingers crashing to the ground and splattering mustard everywhere.

Riddler had preceded to yell at Scarecrow for his stupidity and then they _both_ went at it until Selina yelled at them to shut up. She didn't seem to actually live in the warehouse with the rest of us, she left late at night and arrived early in the morning. Nobody seemed to know what she did during the time she was gone, and she didn't seem inclined to tell anyone either.

Getting changed quickly, I pondered on how to get out and down the window without injuring myself in the process. I could probably jump and roll, but the past times I've done that I'd sprained my ankle. No, my goal was to get out without that happening. If only I had some rope...

Snapping my fingers I rushed back to one of the garbage bags and dug out a spare sheet. I didn't want to cut it up, but it was my only option. Grabbing a pair of scissors I got to work. Ten minutes later I was positive that the sheet wouldn't break loose under my weight. Tying one end to a support beam, I carefully let down the other end out the window. Taking a deep breath, I climbed up onto the window ledge gripping the sheet in my hands as I slowly let myself down.

The whole time I held my breath expecting alarms to go off or something. Surprisingly, none did. Had Riddler lied about the traps and alarms to discourage me from trying to escape? It was possible. Dropping to the ground the last couple of feet, I picked my way across the surrounding area just in case. Stepping off the premises, I finally let out the breath I'd been holding. The most dangerous part was behind me, now I just needed to figure out where I wanted to go. Downtown Gotham would be the best place to go, I decided. It wouldn't take me long to get there, if I found some mode of transportation. Walking was out of the question, it _was_ Gotham after all.

I started walking in the general direction of Downtown, scanning the area for anything I could temporarily borrow. Five minutes later, I found a rusty old bike that looked like it had a flat tire.

 _Good enough_ , I thought with a shrug.

Now with the bike, I managed to make better time getting into the city. Leaving the bike in an alley off of a main road, I eased my way into the crowded streets of Gotham. With no destination in mind, I let the flow of the crowd guide me around. Passing Cathedral Square I paused to admire my surroundings. I'd never been to this part of Gotham before, mostly being confined to Gotham High and the surrounding areas. Bruce didn't let me go out much, if at all because of the press and whatnot.

Ten minutes of walking later, I found myself across the street from the G.C.P.D., not knowing why I was there. I must've subconsciously made my way here for a reason. I knew that Bruce would be looking for me so I could turn myself in, make up a story about how I'd barely escaped with my life from the Rouges, but something nagged the back of my mind. The Rouges didn't necessarily treat me badly, and did I really want to go back to Wayne Manor? I mean, I loved Bruce and Richard, I owed a lot to them, but... Bruce was really controlling and I've never really had this sort of freedom before. Ok, being kidnapped and held in a warehouse not being able to leave wasn't exactly being free, but it was a change of scenery and something new.

Taking a hesitant step forward, I was suddenly thrown off when someone turned the corner and crashed into me. I felt a burning as a hot liquid spilled down my shirt front. From the smell of it, coffee. Well this was just great. Steadying myself, I turned to see who ran into me. It was a young woman who couldn't have been a few years older than me, with red hair.

"Oh my God," the woman said, covering her mouth with a hand. "I'm so sorry about that! I wasn't looking where I was going obviously. This is what happens when people yell at me to hurry up and grab coffee for them I guess."

 _It's fine_ , I signed. _No big deal._

"You're deaf to?" The woman asked. "Not that it's a bad thing," she added hastily. "Ugh, give me a second and then I'll take _you_ out to get coffee as an apology."

 _That's really not necessary_ , I signed but the woman just ignored me.

Taking out her phone, the woman dialed a number before speaking, "Hey dad? Yeah yeah, I'm good. Can you tell Harvey that I won't be getting his coffee to him until later?"

I studied the woman as she chatted. Her white button up shirt was tucked into her blue jeans and was wearing minimal jewelry.

I stepped back abruptly when I saw her detective badge at her hip. Crap. How'd I get into this situation? What were the odds that I'd run into a Police Detective? I was about to make a run for it when the woman slipped her phone into her pocket turned to me.

"Well that's all taken care of," she said cheerfully. "Harvey's gonna be pissed that he won't get his coffee as soon as he'd like, but he'll just have to deal with it. I'm Detective Barbra Gordon by the way." She held out her hand and I reluctantly shook it.

"You've probably hea- er rather seen my father, Commissioner Gordon."

 _I've heard of him_ , I nodded. Commissioner Gordon was a good friend of Bruce's and is met him a few times, he was really nice.

"You can understand me?" Barbra asked.

 _I can read your lips_ , I signed. It wasn't a complete lie.

"Well I have no clue as to what you just said," Barbra declared, "but that doesn't matter. Come along, I know the best coffee place in Gotham."

She grabbed my arm and dragged me around the corner and down the street.


	14. 【14】

**A/N: uploading two chapters today because I'm a stickler for superstitions and don't want a week of bad luck from chapter 13.**

 **XXX**

I was so surprised when Barbra grabbed my arm and dragged me down the street that I just let her. Stumbling after her, I tried to shake out my sweater, the smell of the coffee making me feel a bit sick. I hated coffee, everything about it, particularly its smell. I partly blamed Alfred for this, thanks to him I'd gained a taste for Earl Grey tea.

A bell rang as Barbra and I entered the small coffee shop. A few tables scattered the brightly lit area, the smell of coffee and pastries made me wrinkle my nose. No one else was there save for the barista who smiled at as when we entered.

"You're back quickly," he said from behind the counter. His messy black hair flopped into his face. "Come back for more already?"

"As if Tony," Barbra snorted. "I'm back because I accidentally spilt Harvey's coffee all over this nice girl."

"How unfortunate," Tony said sympathetically. He turned his attention to me, "Bathrooms are down the hall on your right."

I trudged down to the bathroom before opening the door and letting myself in. I suppose I was fortunate that it was slow, being around too many people would raise the risk of someone recognizing me. I was surprised that Barbra didn't considering she was Commissioner Gordon's daughter, but she seemed scatterbrained enough not to.

Wiping my sweater with a handful of paper towels, I managed to soak up most of the coffee so it was damp instead of soaking. Alas there was nothing I could do about the coffee smell. I was just glad that it hadn't gotten on my jacket.

Walking out of the bathroom, I made my way back to the main room but paused when I heard Barbra and Tony talking about me.

"-just so sad," Barbra was saying. "I mean that poor girl. It was simply barbaric for the Rouges to kidnap her when they did. I mean she was at _school_ for goodness sake!"

"They're Rouges," Tony said with a shrug. "What do you expect? Do you have any leads? You are heading the investigation right?"

"Yeah," Barbra said playing with her hair. "I'm heading the investigation but they're not a lot to go off of. We don't know why they kidnapped her."

"What's Bruce doing about it? I mean, she is his daughter, adopted or no."

"What can he do?" Barbra said with a shrug. "He's currently trying to keep the press away from the case, which has helped us a lot, but besides that, he's not doing much. I think he's just waiting to make a move, or until the Rouges demand a ransom."

I purposely ran into a table as I entered their line of sight.

"Oh!" Barbra said as she and Tony turned to look at me. "Are you ok?"

I nodded and rubbed my hip. Damn I didn't mean to hit the _that_ hard.

"So what can I get you?" Tony asked after a pause.

"Harvey's usual order to go, I guess." Barbra said sounding uninterested. "And maybe something for my companion and I."

"Of course," Tony said, "is that for here or to go?"

"For here," Barbra said, "Harvey can wait ten more minutes or so."

"What would you like to order then?"

"Hmmm... Dark chocolate mocha for me and... What would you like?" Barbra asked, turning to me.

 _Do you have any tea?_ I signed towards Tony.

"Ahhh," he gave me a sheepish look. "I don't read sign language sorry."

"Hand her a menu then," Barbra said rolling her eyes.

I took the menu that Tony handed me and scanned it. Only three tea options, a herbal tea, chai tea, and a black tea with a fruity edge. Placing the menu on the counter, I tapped the black tea.

"That one?" he asked. "All righty then. I'll have those two out for you in a jiff."

"Don't forget Harvey's coffee to go," Barbra reminded him.

"Of course, I'll get that too."

I followed Barbra to a take by one of the windows and sat down across from her. She slid into her seat before turning her attention to me, "Now that we got that all out of the way, I believe that I never caught your name."

I expected her to ask me what my name was, but I didn't plan on telling her what it was. I searched my mind for a name I could use as a cover up. I remembered this game that had been a huge hit at school. Doki Doki something or other. I didn't remember the logistics of it, I only remembered some of the characters names.

 _My name's M-O-N-I-K-A_. I spelled out the name because of the weird spelling. I then realized that she couldn't read sign language and silently cursed myself.

"Here," Barbra said, putting her notebook down on the table in front of me with a pen. "Try that."

 _My name's Monika_ , I wrote.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Monika," Barbra said with a smile. "I'm really sorry about earlier."

 _It's really no big deal._ I wrote quickly.

"Still," Barbra said, waving a hand. "I feel bad about it. What's someone like you doing out in Gotham by yourself anyways? It's dangerous to be out by yourself."

 _Only if it's getting dark_ , I wrote.

"People have been robbed or even kidnapped in the middle of the day." Barbra's face darkened.

 _That's true, but I can handle myself._

"I'm sure you can," Barbra said, "I can tell your a very capable young woman."

 _So you're heading the investigation on that girls kidnapping?_ I had to be very careful on how I approached the subject, but I was also very curious about what had been going on.

"How'd you know that?" Barbra asked, suddenly very guarded.

 _Like I said, I can read lips._

"Oh," Barbra relaxed. "Sorry, it's just that Bruce doesn't want anything getting out about the kidnapping because of the press. I apologize if I just seemed a bit rude."

 _It's ok._

"So yeah I'm heading the investigation." Barbra continued. "We don't have much of a lead however. All we know is who did it."

 _And who was that?_

"Scarecrow, Riddler, Catwoman, Two-Face and Harley Quinn."

I put on my best horrified look and Barbra nodded gravely.

"We don't know why they all came together to kidnap Ridley Wayne, and we fear the worst because there were five of them. Any of them could've done it by themselves. Da- er Commissioner Gordon thinks that something bad is going to happen because of it."

 _Something bad?_

"The last time a bunch of villains got together to pull of a crime it was a huge event that endangered all of Gotham." Barbra said. "Do you remember it?"

 _No, why?_

"It was about 11 or 12 years ago." Barbra straightened her sleeves."How old are you?"

 _18._

"Yeah you would've been 6 then," Barbra mused. "Too young to remember much I guess."

We were interrupted by Tony bringing over our drinks, "Here you go ladies."

He set our drinks in front of us and left a third, which I assumed was for this Harvey person, off to the side.

"Thank you, Tony," Barbra said.

"No problem." Tony said with a smile. He smiled a lot I realized.

"Now where was I?" Barbra asked ask Toy walked away. She sipped her coffee, "Oh yes! I was talking about that crime that happened 12 years ago. Well actually, nobody's quite sure _what_ it was. You could ask five different people and they'd give you five different answers. It was easier for the police to just label it as a huge crime."

I nodded absentmindedly as I took a sip of my tea. It was good, with a hint of a fruity edge to it. Not something I'd thought I'd like.

 _What was it then if not a huge crime?_ I wrote, setting down my mug and picking up the pen.

"Dad thought it was some sort of gang war or something of that sort on a large scale."

I ignored the fact that Barbra had stop calling him 'Commissioner Gordon'. It didn't bother me at all.

 _A gang war?_

"Kind of. It's a bit complicated. You see the G.C.P.D. had a sense that there was an unrest within the Rouges, someone back stabbed someone else and whatnot. So it wasn't exactly a gang war, more like a civil war within the Rouges."

She took a swig of her coffee before setting it down and clearing her throat.

"Of course if you ask other people they'll say that it was a war, but not of the usual sort. I heard that Zsasz kidnapped someone who meant something to one of the Rouges, I don't recall which one, or it was just never found out."

I stilled and set my mug down slowly when she mentioned Zsasz. This couldn't be... no this wasn't just a coincidence. That I knew for certain.

"If you go with that theory," Barbra said, completely oblivious to me, she was really getting into her story. "Then the kidnapping of the girl had to deal with a blood feud or something between two Rouges. Penguin and Riddler if I remember correctly. I don't know why they'd have any sort of feud, but anything goes I guess."

 _Yeah. Anything goes_ , I thought keeping my face blank.

"The whole thing ended up really being a civil war I guess." Barbra said thoughtfully. "A bunch of Rouges took one side or the other; those supporting Penguin and those supporting Riddler. Of course Zsasz was under Penguins employment at the time but after everything happened he kind of disappeared."

 _What happened to the girl then?_ I wrote, hand shaking slightly. This. Could. Not. Be. Happening.

"Nobody really knows." Barbra said sadly. "Of course it's worth noting that Bruce Wayne adopted a little six year old girl not long after."

 _So you think that the little girl was-_

"Ridley?" Barbra asked before I could finish writing.

I nodded, not trusting myself to do anything else.

"I do, and so does Dad. That's why it's important that we find her as soon as possible. If Riddler hands her over to Penguin and Zsasz, because mark my words he's out there somewhere, things will get really bad really quickly."

I took another sip of my tea attempting to steady myself.

"Are you ok Monika?" Barbra furrowed her brow in concern. "You're a bit pale."

 _Fine. I'm fine, honestly._

"I think I'm upsetting you," Barbra said studying me carefully. "Of course this talk could upset anyone. I'll stop though. But... You said that you were 18, right?"

I drained my mug and nodded.

"Did you go to school with Ridley? I remember going through the list of kids in Ridleys class and I don't remember ever coming across someone named Monkia."

 _My family moved from Star City two days ago_ I wrote down, focusing my mind on the task at hand. _My sister_ , I paused. Why they heck did I just make things more complicated for myself?

"Your sister?" Barbra prompted. I didn't like the way she was staring at me.

 _She got a job here in the city and my parents insisted that we all move here with her._

"That's odd," Barbra remarked. "Why'd they do that?"

 _My sister, Yuri, has mental health issues. Mom and dad were worried that she'd spiral down the hole if she was left in Gotham for too long by herself._

"That makes sense." Barbra nodded in understanding. "But Yuri's an unusual name."

 _My dad lived for 15 years in Japan before he met my mom_ , I wrote, _he loved to travel. Once he met mom, he stopped. He always said it was because he couldn't afford to be care free anymore._

Barbra nodded and set her cup aside. This was feeling a lot more like an interrogation than a regular conversation. Being a detective, I was sure that Barbra could sense my nervousness.

Barbra opened her mouth to say something just as a car alarm went off. I flinched on instinct and then cursed my stupidity. I then lept to my feet, following along with what I'd done.

 _I just remembered that I gotta go,_ I scribbled quickly on the piece of paper before running out the door.


	15. 【15】

Dashing out of the shop, I ran down the street, looking back to make sure that Barbra wasn't following me. It was stupid for me to stay, I should've just left after she'd introduced herself. Anther nagging thought was: _Why had I lied about who I was?_

I very well could've told her who I really was and she would've immediately brought me to the G.C.P.D. . I'd already closed that door I guess by not going to the G.C.P.D. first thing. I knew that Bruce wouldn't understand any of my actions, heck, _I_ didn't even understand them. I just acted on instinct, something that I was doing a lot more than usual.

My mind wandered towards to story that Barbra had told me. It seemed plausible, but why hadn't I heard anything about the event? If it was as big as Barbra had made it out to be, certainly I would've at least heard about it in passing? Then again... considering how sheltered my life actually was, it kind of made sense. Should I try looking into it more? It was partly, no, it was about me. I deserved to know didn't I? Especially if it was something about my past.

My best bet of finding anything about it was to go to the Gotham Public Library but I had no clue where it was. I could try asking someone, but hadn't I already been careless enough with Barbra? It was one thing for someone who could talk to ask a random passerby where the library was; they'd think nothing of it. But to have someone like me ask? It'd stuck in their minds and then they'd talk about it to others. It was far to Risky on my part.

Pulling myself out of my thoughts, I realized that I had no clue as to where I was. I'd run out of the coffee shop and had chosen a random direction. I was hopelessly lost; that was just great. Taking in my surroundings I noticed that I was in a seedier area of Gotham, most certainly not a good place for me to be...

I attempted to retrace my steps, but I hadn't payed attention to how I'd gotten to where I currently was. Turning left at the next corner, I attempted to make my way back to Downtown. I knew that it was most likely west of where I was right now, but I wasn't sure. Gazing up at the sky to look at the position of the sun, I was surprised to see how late it was. I'd been out for at least four hours.

Worry shot though me and I became more determined to get my bearings. Barbara was right, being out on the streets of Gotham at night was not something that I'd want to do. Scanning the street, I noted uneasily that I was the only person save for three brutish men roughly 20 feet behind me.

My heart sped up and I gradually increased my pace until I turned a sharp corner into an alley. Well, that wasn't the smartest thing to do. I only had to hope it wasn't a dead end. I made it halfway down the alley when three men appeared at its head. Crap, I really needed to-

"Well well well," one of the brutes drawled. He had an accent that I'd heard before but couldn't place. "The boss is gonna be happy with us."

"Only if we get her first," one of his companions pointed out.

"Then what are we standing around for?" the third asked. "Let's get this job done already. The boss'll reward us handsomely!"

 _Shit, shit, shit!_ Abandoning all reason, I ran down the alley only to find that it indeed was a dead end. Turning around and backing up against the wall, I watched as the men stalked towards me. My fingers dug into the rough bricks as I pondered what I could do. I could try to fight my way out but the alley was to narrow. The brick walls were just smooth enough that I wouldn't be able to climb them. I was essentially cornered. I could try a full frontal charge, it might throw them off, but then what? I was no match for the three of them, I doubted that I could even go against one.

Steadying my breathing I mentally ran through Bruce and Richards training. Keeping the most important facts of fighting a bigger opponent in mind, I took up a fighting stance. The three men halted a few feet away from me and the leader sneered.

"Look at this lads," he spat, "she thinks that she stands a chance against us."

"Give her a good one then," the second brute said with a grin.

Their leader chucked before he let his fist fly. I barely had enough time to dodge the punch. He missed my face, thankfully, but he still managed to hit my shoulder. Wincing at the pain, I ducked and aimed for his stomach. The man caught my arm in a vise grip and yanked me forward.

"You know what boys," he said studying my face. "Boss said to bring her to him in one piece, but nothing about not roughing her a bit first."

He released his grip before shoving me backwards. Stumbling backwards, I lost my balance and ended up falling on my butt. All three of the men roared in laughter. I didn't attempt to get up, I knew that if I did I'd only get pushed down again. I had enough experience with bullies to understand that.

"Looks like she's done fighting," the guy that pushed me said. "What a bummer, cause I'm not done with her yet."

He raised his hand to hit me and I closed my eyes flinching slightly, waiting for the blow. When it didn't come, I cracked an eye open before I widened both I surprise. The man hadn't hit me because someone had caught his arm and prevented him from doing so.

"Riddle me this," Riddler said from behind the man, his eyes glittering with malice. "What do you think you're doing?"

The other two guys backed off in alarm. They clearly weren't expecting something like this. They glanced at their leader who had a look of rage on his face, "This has nothing to do with you!"

"I beg to differ," Riddler said with a smirk. He was in his typical get up of a green suit, tie and hat. I was grateful that he was here, if not a bit surprised. How'd he known I was even here in the first place?

"You see," he continued. "Like most of the other Rouges, I don't like it when others try to take what is mine."

 _Wait... What!?_ My gratefulness gave way to irritation.

"I suggest you leave before I make you."

"As if!" the man sneered.

Before I could blink, Riddler had twisted the man's arm behind his back and slammed his face into the brick wall next to me.

"I'd ask you to reconsider," he said with deathly calm. The man grunted and struggled to no avail; Riddler had him in a death grip.

"This is why I don't like people like you." Annoyance crept into Riddlers voice as he grabbed the man by his hair and smashed his head into the wall. "Your. Always. So. Persistent." With each word he slammed the man's head into the wall a bit harder each time. I winced with each sickening hit.

Riddler sighed as he stepped back and let the man slump unconscious to the ground, his face covered in blood.

"And the rest of you," he said harshly turning to the others who backed up nervously. "As spineless as eels."

He took care of them efficiency. Brutally. Not even batting an eye while he did it. I curled up tightly and watched him, not being able to look away. This was the type of creature that Gotham believed the Rouges to be; heartless murderers who did these types of things because they _liked_ to.

Riddler turned to me as the last man collapsed holding his now broken arm.

"Let's get you out of here." He sounded tried as he held out a hand for me to take. After a moment of hesitation, I took it and he pulled me up.

"Sorry you had to witness that," his face tightened. "I don't particularly like it, but it was necessary."

He guided me out of the alley and down the road a bit to a back car parked on the corner. I numbly slid into the passenger seat and Riddler shut the door before getting in himself and starting the engine.

"I'm sorry." He said again, focusing on the road.

 _Why apologize?_ I signed, my hands shaking slightly. _It wasn't your fault_. I was surprised by his sudden change in attitude.

"It kinda was," he said, taking his glasses off and rubbing his eyes. "It was your last test after all."

 _Last... Test?_ I frowned.

"Yeah." He replaced his glasses. "Didn't you wonder how easy it was for you to get out?"

 _Well, yes but-_

"This last one was really risky for us because we weren't sure what you'd do. Would you go and turn yourself into the police and tell them where we were keeping you? We didn't know. You had us worried for a second when you were across the street from the G.C.P.D."

 _How'd you know that I was there?_ I signed, slightly confused about everything.

"I have cameras set up all over that block." Riddler waved a hand. "You running into Barbra wasn't something that any of us anticipated. Tell me, what did you think of the commissioners daughter?"

 _She talks to much._

Riddler nodded in agreement, "I've never had the pleasure of meeting her, but from what I've heard, you're right."

I gazed out the window of the car and thought about what Barbra had told me. She'd said that Riddler and the others had fought over me? Why? And would they ever tell me why they kidnapped me? They'd probably tell me when it was convenient for them.

 _Was it part of your plan for me to get caught up in that alley?_ I asked.

A flash of anger crossed Riddlers face, "No, it wasn't. We thought you'd be able to make it back on your own. Bruce never let you out much did he?"

 _No, he didn't._

"Pathetic," Riddler scowled.

 _Hey! He was just being protective of me. A little too protective. Even if I don't know my way around Gotham, I have plenty of street smarts._

Riddler grunted before turning right down a narrow city street.

 _Who were those guys anyways?_

"They're apart of the Italian mob," Riddler replied. "I don't know why they'd want you unless..." He trailed off.

 _Unless what?_

Riddler hesitated before answering. "You're a new piece on an ancient chessboard. A new player in a game that's been going on for years. Naturally you've attracted some attention. People will wonder who's side you're on, and particular people such as those that attacked you will wonder how much you're worth."

 _I'm on nobody's side but my own. And what do you mean by how much I'm worth?_

"It's always been about money for the mob," Riddler said. "That among other things. My guess is that they would've tried to get ransom money from Bruce by holding you hostage."

I shivered. Bruce would buy into the ransom, it wouldn't matter how much money it was, he'd pay it just to get me back. I should be flattered by that fact but it honestly was just another pair of shackles.

"Unless of course..." Riddler muttered, "it's _that_ issue." He frowned. " ** _My answer is only two words. To keep me, you must give me_**."

I tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention. _What issue?_

"Nothing to worry about," Riddler said. I could tell by his expression that it _was_ something to worry about, but he clearly wasn't going to tell me.

Before I could try to get him to answer, we arrived at the warehouse. Riddler guided the car into a smaller nearby building and killed the engine, but made no move to get out.

"Can I ask something of you?" He glanced at me.

 _Why?_

"You owe me for saving you."

 _I could've taken them._

"Sure you could've." Riddler rolled his eyes. "It's not something major."

 _Fine._

"Call Jon and I by our names."

 _What?_ I was taken aback. I wasn't expecting that kind of request. I thought he'd ask me not to go out without telling him or something. _Why?_

"The names the general public calls us are more like alias. Besides," he smirked. "You already refer to Selina by her actual name."

 _Yeah, but Selina is Selina_ , I signed. _And you're... well you._

"I'm wounded." Riddler said sarcastically. "This isn't a question." He said getting serious again. "You owe me so..."

 _Alright then!_ I signed, exasperated.

Rid- Edward nodded in satisfaction and got out of the car, "Shall we go in then?"


	16. 【16】

**Barbra's P.O.V.**

I stared after Monika in surprise. I knew that I had been making her uncomfortable, her posture was just too stiff to be casual. I hadn't been expecting her to jump up and run away though. Then again... there was something off about her. I had my suspicions but I'd have to talk to dad and Harvey about it.

"She just went up and left, didn't she?" Tony asked, walking up to the table.

"Yeah," I said thoughtfully. "She did."

I fished out some cash from my wallet and attempted to pass it to him but he denied it. "Keep it," he said. "It's unnecessary."

"Tony..."

"I'm serious," he said giving me a look. "Just go along with it."

"Fine," I said with a sigh, replacing my money. "I should get going now, Harvey's probably getting really impatient."

"Don't keep him waiting any longer!" Tony said with a laugh.

"That'd be bad," I agreed, standing up ad gathering my things. Glancing down at my notepad I studied Monika's handwriting. My instinct told me to her and her story a bit more. I'd drop it off at forensics for examination after I talked to dad.

"See you tomorrow hopefully," I told Tony slipping the notepad into my pocket and picking up Harvey's coffee. I waved as I left.

"It's about time!" Harvey bellowed as I entered dads office. He was standing by the window while my dad, Commissioner Jim Gordon, sat at his desk.

"Sorry Harvey," I said passing the coffee to him. "I got caught up in something."

"Would you care to tell us?" Dad asked.

"Yes actually," I said brushing my hair out of my face. "I met the most peculiar girl..."

I preceded to tell them about my interaction with Monika, pulling out my notepad to show them. "I want to see if my suspicions are correct," I explained after I'd finished.

"The suspicion that Monika isn't the girls real name?" Harvey asked.

"Yes." I nodded. "Doesn't it seem peculiar that a girl that fits our victims description, someone who we've never heard of despite our research, appears only days after our victim is kidnapped?"

"It does," dad said, furrowing his brow in thought. "I'll have you look into it. It'd be our first major lead," he added when Harvey opened his mouth to object.

"I want to know though," dad said turning back to me. "If you had your suspicions, why did you tell her about what happened 12 years ago? I only told you when I thought you'd be able to handle it."

"I wanted to see what reaction it had on her." I replied confidently. "I wanted to see if she was who I thought she was or if she was just some other person."

"And you were right in your suspicions?"

"I was. Even if it wasn't obvious to her, I saw recognition cross her face when I talked. Oddly though, she doesn't seem to remember anything of the incident."

"Understandable," dad said with a nod. "The trauma caused... it would've been surprising if she didn't have any side effects from it."

"I think that's how she lost her capacity of speech." I said.

"Interesting thought," Harvey remarked. "You think that she's capable of speech?"

"Why not?" I asked. "Her medical records say nothing about her vocal cords being damaged. In fact they look just the same as any regular persons."

"It's an interesting theory," dad said leaning back in his chair.

"What we're the names that she gave you?" Harvey asked.

"Monika and Yuri."

"Not your typical American names," dad said. "Well, I mean Monika is but the spelling..."

"There are different variations of spelling names Jim," Harvey pointed out.

"Of course," dad agreed. "But," he tapped the notepad, "if it were just her name then we might've be able to pass it off as a unique spelling. You said that her dad supposably lived in Japan for 15 years?"

I nodded, "Yes."

"Yuri is a Japanese name. Now paired with the name Monika, which isn't, I think it's German."

"Your point being?" Harvey asked.

"Can I look something up on your computer dad?" I asked.

"Sure, go ahead." He moved out of the way as I walked around the desk and pulled the keyboard closer.

Navigating to Google, I typed in "Monika and Yuri" before hitting enter. The results were rather interesting.

"Doki Doki Literature Club?" Harvey asked, walking over and peering over my shoulder.

"I think it's some sort of computer game," I said. "Clearly the names Monika and Yuri are from it." I Googled the game.

I scrolled through the websites that Google had brought up. I clicked on the Wikipedia page and skimmed over the article.

"A psychological horror game disguised as a dating sim?" Harvey asked incredulously.

"Go down to the plot," dad said, and I obliged.

My face paled as I continued to read. What kind of game was this? Certainly not something that I'd even be able to comprehend.

"She's not-" dad voice faltered and he cleared his throat. "She's not playing this game is she?"

"Forensics went over the content on her computer, she never did." I shook my head. "It's more likely that she heard about the game from school." I closed out the window and picked up my notepad.

"I'll run this by forensics now and get back to you."

"Ok," dad said as I walked out.

Walking though the G.C.P.D., I occasionally nodded hello to the officers that I knew. Being the commissioners daughter, I knew a lot, but not everyone. Knocking on the door to the forensics lab, I waited for a second before entering.

The lab was rather small compared to the other spaces in the department, but Dr. Goodman managed to make it work.

Doctor Benjamin Goodman was a man of short stature with short silver grey hair and blue eyes. His back was slightly hunched from bending over tables, and that's where I found him when I walked in.

"Do you still have the evidence from Ridley's room out?" I asked.

"Yep," Dr. Goodman said. "May I ask why you need it?"

"I don't need it," I said walking over to him. "I just need you to run some analysis on her handwriting with this." I handed him my notepad which was still open to the page that had Monkias writing on it.

"I can certainly do that for you," Dr. Goodman said. "Let me just find some of her writing."

He left the table and walked over to a few boxes that sat on a nearby counter. He dug though one of the boxes before coming up with a thin spiral bound notebook.

"Let's see, let's see," he muttered, coming back over and setting the notebook on the table. He opened to a random page before taking my notepad.

"Ah hah," he said, pointing at the notebook. "You see the writing on this page? It's small, narrow, the words are close together, and she writes with light pressure. That means that Ridley is a follower, not a leader. She has a chaotic inner life and inhibition anxiety. She doesn't wish to be the center of attention and has bouts of insecurity. The angle of the writing and the closeness of letters in a word indicate feelings of isolation."

"You got all of that from just her writing?" I said, rather impressed. He was pretty much spot on with how Bruce described her personality.

"Now this," Dr. Goodman tapped my notepad. "This is a different story. Same angle and slight closeness of the letters, which still means feelings of isolation. However, the size of the writing is larger, which points towards emotional demands, and self-confidence. The pressure is heavier as well which shows either anger, anxiety or alertness. Different lines have different pressures here, so during this conversation she felt some very different things."

He wiped his brow before continuing, "Word spacing is also wider, meaning mental clarity. The letters are slightly more spaced out which shows determination and openness. If I didn't know better, I'd say that these two are completely different people. However," he paused.

"However?" I asked.

"The other factors of the two writing samples say otherwise." He glanced at me. "Large capital letters on both samples show independence, while the straight lines, low placed i dots and firm t bars point towards rationality."

"And this means?" I asked. The information he gave was extremely helpful, but I needed a confirmation.

"This means, there is about a 93% match between both the handwritings. The person that wrote it both the notebook and on the notepad are most likely the person. But you already knew that, you just needed the scientific confirmation." Dr. Goodman gave me a level look. "Am I right?"

"Yes," I admitted. "Thank you for the help though."

"Any time my dear, any time."

I walked out of the lab, my head spinning. So I had be correct in my initial thinking. I cursed myself for not being able to realize it sooner. Better late than never I suppose. But what had caused such a drastic change in her personality? She may be held by the Rouges, but her personality seemed to be improving. I shook my head. It wasn't good that they had taken her, of course not. I entered my dads office again.

"Any news?" Harvey asked.

"A lot actually," I replied turning to my dad. "Compared to other writing samples, there was a 93% match between both of them. 'Monkia' is really our victim, Ridley Wayne."


	17. 【17】

Ridley's P.O.V.

I had been so tired from my excursion and what had happened that I completely ignored Selina's worried fussing and Jons lecturing, walking right past them and upstairs to my room where I promptly passed out.

I didn't wake up until well into the afternoon the next day. Yawning, I wandered over to one of the trash bags and pulled out a shirt that said " _You know what's odd? Numbers not divisible by 2"._ Digging out a pair of yoga pants, I put my clothes on before heading downstairs. I made a mental note to unpack my things later.

Entering the kitchen I saw Edward and Jon standing by the stove, for once they weren't arguing. I didn't see Selina anywhere so I assumed that she either wasn't coming by today or she got caught up in something.

"Good after- Oh, I like the shirt," Edward smirked when he saw what was on my shirt.

"Huh?" Jon said, peering over at me. He read my shirt and frowned, "I don't get it."

"Of course you don't." Edward snorted.

I gave him a shy smile before going over to the refrigerator and opening it. Calling the Rouges by the names they were known ask had been a barrier between me and them in a psychological sense. Now with that gone, I worried about what would happen. I would most definitely get closer to them, but was it such a bad thing? To some, it might be.

Grabbing a container of mixed fruit, I shut the refrigerator door and sat down at the small wooden table in the middle of the room. I'd never been much of a big eater, and only ate a lot when I was with Bruce because both he and Alfred would bug me about it. Picking up a strawberry I popped it into my mouth and started chewing.

"Is that all you're going to eat?" Edward asked. "Wouldn't you like some toast or something?"

 _I'm fine,_ I signed, my mouth still full. Ah, one of the many upsides of sign language.

Edward looked doubtful but didn't say anything else about it.

"Edward filled me in on what happened yesterday, at least from his perspective," Jon said leaning forward on the counter. "So tell me, how was your little bit of freedom?"

"In no way was Jon implying that you won't be able to go out in the future," Edward added hastily, glaring at Jon.

Jon rolled his eyes. "I just wanted to know what she did before you found her that's all!"

 _Nothing much._ I signed before eating a grape. _I ran, literally, into someone, or rather they ran into me._

"Someone ran into her." Edward translated.

"Who was that?" Jon asked, looking semi-interested.

 _The commissioners' daughter._

Jon looked at Edward for translation.

"She ran into the Barbra Gordon."

"You ran into _Barbra Gordon?"_ Jon asked in disbelief. _"How'd she not recognize you? She's heading your case!"_

 _I know that._ I signed. _She told me. Obviously, I was lucky she didn't recognize me or I wouldn't be here right now._

Edward translated for Jon and he rolled his eyes again.

"Obviously I know that! Do I look stupid to you?"

 _Yes._

Edward chuckled before asking me a question: "She dragged you into a coffee shop, what did you two talk about?"

 _Nothing much._ It was so easy to lie, mainly because I'd been doing it for a long time. Now don't get me wrong, I wasn't a compulsive liar, I only lied if I couldn't help it, or if I needed to, like now.

 _She wanted to know more about me so I lied about who I was and where I was from._

"What did you tell her?" Edward asked.

 _That I recently moved from Star City and that I had a sister._

Edward stiffened. "Did you now... Interesting." He glanced at Jon who pretended not to pay attention.

 _Why? Is that a problem?_

"No," he said, "it's not. I was just surprised that you could come up with something like that on the fly."

"Either you translate or we get her something to write on." Jon interrupted. "I don't like hearing only one side of the conversation."

"Just deal with it," Edward said irritated.

 _Where's Selina?_ I asked, quickly changing the subject. I didn't know how to stop a fight if they got in the middle of one, so the best I could hope for was that I could stop it before it happened.

"Selina has to go and grab something for tonight," Edward said.

Grab things for tonight? Was something going on? Oh! I realized what he was talking about. They were going to pull off a heist.

"She also is going to grab something for you as well." Edward continued.

 _What kind of things?_ I inquired.

"You'll see." He gave me a sly grin.

"She should be back by now," Jon remarked. "She said she'd be back in two hours, it's pushing 2 1/2."

"She'll be here when she gets here." Edward snapped before turning to me. "After what happened yesterday I want to train you to at least be able to defend yourself."

"So you're sticking which your ridiculous plan then?" Jon asked.

"It's not ridiculous." Edward retorted. "It's necessary."

 _What's necessary?_

"You learning to defend yourself," Edward told me.

"Now that's not the whole story, is it?" Jon said. "You want her to join us."

"Jonathan!" Edward said harshly.

"What is it, _Edward,"_ Jon replied. "That's what you wanted right? Stop dancing around the subject and just say it already!"

"I wanted to wait until she got more settled here!" Edward yelled. "She only got here like a week ago!"

"How long were you planning to wait then?" Jon shot back.

"I don't know!" Edward said throwing his hands up in the air.

I slammed my hand on the table to get their attention. They both whipped their heads towards me in surprise.

 _Are you two done yet? I signed, eye twitching in annoyance._

Edward at least had the guts to look apologetic. Jon just stood there fuming, I didn't try to understand why; it wasn't _that_ big of a deal. Sure it bothered me a bit that they wanted me to join them in causing general mayhem around the city, but I had been expecting something like it so it wasn't a huge shock.

"You're not mad," Edward stated, studying my face.

"She should be," Jon grunted.

Edward glared at Jon before turning his attention back to me.

"So will you allow the others and I to train you?" He asked.

 _Sure. I_ didn't bother telling him that I already knew how to fight, it'd just bring up unwanted questions of how I learned it.

"Great," Edward said approvingly. "Let's all go down to the basement."

 _You have a basement?_ I signed, following after him as Jon brought up the rear.

"Yep," Edward said. I followed him to a part of the warehouse that I hadn't been in before.

We walked past Jon's lab and Edwards challenge rooms all the way to the back wall. Edward placed his hand on the wall and gave it a push, causing the section of the wall to swing open revealing a set of cement stairs leading down.

"We have to keep this disguised so no one can easily find it." Edward explained, leading the way down the steps. I followed closely behind trying not to rip and fall. Jon closed the door behind us and for a moment we were in complete darkness before lights flickered on above us.

"There's a whole labyrinth of tunnels and rooms under here. My most dangerous challenge rooms are housed down here as well as our storage."

Hitting the last of the steps, I found myself in a fairly well-lit hallway. It was a dull grey and had a few doors on its surface here and there. The hum of the fluorescent lights was the only sound. I followed Edward as he moved down the hall, passing various unmarked doors before stopping in front of one in the middle of the hall.

The door made almost no noise when Edward opened it to reveal a large room that contained various types of weaponry and practice dummies. I saw everything from machine guns to quarterstaves. It was almost, but not quite, as impressive as the Bat Caves training room.

"Have a look around," Edward said, shutting the door once we'd all filed in.

A rack of weapons that stood apart from the others against the wall caught my eye and I walked over to get a better look. Unlike the guns and various other weapons, these were ancient, as in not modern. A wicked double bladed sickle hung from a peg, and I assumed that it was Jon's simply because it went with his aesthetic. Running my eye over the others on display, my eye snagged on an elegant looking rapier. I had a strange adoration when it came to these sorts of swords.

Picking it up gingerly, I was surprised to find that it fit nearly perfectly in my hand and that it was perfectly balanced as well. I swung it around a bit, causing Edward and Jon to jump backwards.

"Watch it." The latter hissed. "You almost impaled me."

I glanced at Edward who didn't say anything, but looked troubled at the sight of the blade. Studying the rapier more closely, I saw that the hilt, which was made up of several intertwined lengths of metal, formed that of a dancing dragon. The head, which was pointing down the length of the blade, had two eyes inlayed with what looked like onyx. A smaller piece of metal which kind of seemed out of place hung down closer to the grip than the rest of it.

I set it back on the rack reluctantly and signed: _It's really pretty. I like it._

"It's yours then," Edward said. "Just make sure that you actually know how to wield it properly before you try anything."

"Edward!" Jon protested. "It's-"

"I know very well of who's it was before," Edward said curtly, cutting him off.

 _What are you talking about?_ I signed, a little bit curious.

"It... belonged to another Rouge at one point," Edward said hesitantly.

"Doesn't matter who." Jon added.

Gave them both a suspicious look. Clearly, they were hiding something. I wondered why they didn't want to talk about it.

"It's has a secret button that releases its other form," Edward said. "The rapier I mean."

 _Really?_ I signed before picking it back up.

"Push down that piece of metal there." Edward pointed towards the piece that I had noted was out of place.

I jumped when the blade shot out a good five more feet. It had already been about three feet long, the typical length of a rapier, but when I hit the lever, it ended up being around four and a half. Walking a good distance away from Edward and Jon, I flicked my wrist, witch caused the blade to whip out like, well, a whip. I must've had a stupid grin on my face because Edward chuckled.

"I think she likes it, Jon," he said.

"Yay us," Jon said sarcastically.

Releasing the lever, I studied the blade closer than I had before. There. Barely noticeable, small seams of where the pieces fit together. Incredible, they were nearly impossible to detect. The wires holding the pieces together must've been extremely thin as well.

"Should I tell her about _that feature?" Edward asked Jon._

"God no," Jon said automatically. "Please don't."

"If I don't then she might get electrocuted." Edward pointed out.

What now? My interest piqued.

"The blade is able to conduct electricity when charged," Edward explained. "When fully charged, it has the strength of a taser."

I grinned widely. This was so cool! Even better than the bulky thing that had been my weapon at Wayne Manor.

"Cut that out," Jon complained, "you look like Joker."

I stuck my tongue out at him in response.

Putting it I the crook of my arm I asked Edward a question: _How do you charge it?_

"Batteries," Edward said, shaking his head when he saw my expression. "I know. It's horrible. I'll figure out a way to fix it later. For now, here." He dug some batteries out of his pocket (because every good Rouge had a random stash of batteries in his pocket), and tossed them to me. "Base of the hilt." He told me. "But first..." He walked over to a file cabinet and opened one of the drawers, taking out a pair of gloves. "Handling it with your bare hands will most certainly end up badly."

Taking the gloves and putting them on, I inspecting the pommel of the sword. I saw that it had the ability to open. Placing the batteries inside and closing the capsule. Getting a good grip on the hilt, I glanced at Edward uncertainly.

"Go on and activate it." He encouraged. "Just don't hit one of us."

Nodding, I pressed down on the lever and flicked the whip towards the wall. The blade whipped out with all the force of the electricity behind it. The spaces between the blade glowed yellow as electricity danced along it, gorging a three-foot mark in the cement wall. I jumped and dropped the rapier in surprise. The electricity winked out and the blade snapped back into place.

"Impressive huh?" Edward said with a smug look.

 _Very._ I signed, picking it back up and placing it back on the rack gingerly.

"I think that we should start with some hand to hand combat," Edward said. "You seem to have a good grasp so far on the rapier, but I have no desire to get impaled or tased."

My mind flashed back to when Richard had told me almost the exact same thing.

 _Of course._

"Shall we then?" Edward motioned to the center of the room where a large mat several square feet across, lay.

Picking up some wrappings from a bin sitting on a low table, I wrapped my hands and stepped onto the mat.

"I just want to know where you are." Edward said. "I noticed that you seemed to have some grasp of hand to hand, but I want to know how far that expertise goes."

 _Farther than you think,_ I thought silently taking my stance.

"Ok," Edward began, "just try and-"

I threw my first punch before he could finish his sentence. He cursed and dodged before I hit him in the face.

"You're good." He said. "But I'm better."

He rushed at me and I dodged, spinning around and using his momentum against him, I pushed him forward. Edward barely managed to not fall on his face as he stumbled forward. He turned around with a scowl on his face. I smirked and extended my hand and made a 'come here' gesture. Edward rushed me again and this time the fight lasted longer.

I figured out what Edwards fighting style was, or rather, the lack of it. He fought well, but not nearly as well as others that I've seen. He was a bookworm, not a warrior.

Jon stood back the whole time making unnecessary comments about both of our fighting styles, mainly Edwards. I didn't want to even try and understand why.

Another issue that I realized was that Edward was progressively making me use more complicated moves to either hit him or evade him. I knew that it was part of him figuring out how much I knew, but it was fast approaching the point where I had to use the moves that Bruce personally taught me. The moves he only used when he was Batman. Warning bells in my head told me I should stop, but some greater force wasn't letting me. Was it pride? Fear or shame? I didn't know. I just had to continue.

Seeing an opening (really the only opening) I blocked Edwards punch with my left arm and grabbed his wrist placing my right hand on his shoulder before kicking his feet out from under him. Edward lay there stunned. Either from the force of my attack or from sheer surprise. I smirked down at him.

"Hey!" Jon said, shooting to his feet from where he was sitting. "I've only seen that move a few times it's-"

"A classic Batman move." Edward finished, getting to his feet and brushing himself off. "I figured." He winked at me and I scowled. So that's what he was after. A confirmation that Bruce was Batman.

"How would Ridley know how to do that?" Jon demanded. "She lived with Bruce Wayne, not Batman. Unless..." He paused and shock and understanding crossed his face.

"Took you long enough," Edward said smugly.

"You knew?" Jon demanded.

"Of course," Edward said haughtily, "I'm the Riddler. Did you honestly think that I didn't know Bruce Wayne was Batman?"


	18. 【18】

**Jons P.O.V.**

I was pissed; no, beyond pissed. Why hadn't Edward told me this? It was vital information. I stomped over and grabbed him by the stupid green tie he always insisted on wearing before dragging him out of the room and down the hall.

"H-hang on a minute!" Edward protested, scrabbling to keep up and not fall over. "Jesus Jon." He huffed, straightening his tie when I let him go. "It's not that big of a deal. I'm the only that knew out of all of us."

"Did you even think about how this information could change things!?" I snarled at him.

"Of course I did!" Edward said in a tightly controlled voice. "That's why I didn't tell any of you! Could you imagine what would happen if Joker found out?"

"Are you protecting him now?" I yelled. "Protecting Batman?"

"Of course not!" Edward yelled back. "I just very much like things how they are now! We don't need complete anarchy! The city wouldn't be able to handle it!"

"So!? What do you care?" I hissed. "This city is already halfway to anarchy already."

I could feel my control slipping away and that just made me angrier. I prided himself on maintaining a strong grip on my emotions, being able to control them, but when I got into arguments like this with Edward...

 _'You love it when he fires you up like this don't you?'_ A voice that I hadn't heard in a long time spoke, and I froze.

"Jon," Edward said sensing my change.

I didn't understand. Why now? I thought I'd made peace with that aspect by accepting it.

 _'Oh please_ ,' Scarecrow purred. ' _You knew that you could never truly get rid of me, I am a part of you, aren't I? You can't get rid of yourself.'_

"Jon?" Edward asked again, a hint of concern in his voice.

"I'm fine." I snapped. "I'm just pissed that you didn't tell me."

 _'Now we both know that's not true.'_

"What was I supposed to do?" Edward asked, spreading his hands. "I didn't know how you'd react. Plus..." He chewed his lip.

"Plus what?" I growled.

"I was going to tell you, Jon." Edward began. "But then everything happened with Ridley and I- I didn't want to make things worse."

"What. Do. You. Mean." I asked in a clipped voice.

"I would've told you about Bruce Wayne being Batman if we'd gone through with our original plan!" Edward said.

Our original plan. To kidnap Ridley directly from Wayne Manor, destroying anyone in our way. Meaning Bruce, his butler, and that idiot that lived with them. Richard something or other. I realized then that if Bruce was Batman that meant that Richard had to be Robin.

"You changed the plan at the last possible minute," I recalled. "You said that killing Bruce wouldn't do anything to help Gotham or help us deal with Ridley. If I remember correctly you also said it'd be too hard."

"That's true," Edward said with a nod.

"But it wasn't just because it was 'too hard'." I said. "We've broken into higher security places before. It was because you didn't want to get on Ridley's bad side!" I gave him an accusing look.

"Is that such a bad thing?" Edward demanded.

Before I could bite back a retort, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. Turning my head, I saw Selina standing there with Ridley. Anger shot through me when I beheld her and she flinched when she met my gaze; scooting closer to Selina. Interesting... I remembered when is officially met her after Edwards test. She looked like I had reminded her of someone. How ironic it was that I reminded her of myself, or rather, a part of myself.

 _'She doesn't remember?'_ Scarecrow asked.

 _'No,'_ I replied mentally.

 _'How interesting.'_ Scarecrow mused. ' _I wonder what it would take for her to remember.'_

 _'We're not doing anything.'_ I instructed. ' _Not yet anyway. I don't want Edward to get mad at me.'_

 _'You're weaker since we last spoke.'_ Scarecrow said in disgust.

 _'I'm cautious.'_ I corrected _. 'There's nothing wrong with that.'_

Scarecrow snorted but remained silent.

"- upstairs." Selina was saying as I brought myself out of my thoughts. She glanced disapprovingly at me.

"I suggest that you stay down here until you're done with your argument, Harley's came back with me."

Edward nodded and I scowled. How dare Selina tell me what to do! I was free to do whatever I wished.

"Don't come back up until you two can act like adults and not children." Selina frowned before walking away. Ridley followed her, but not before casting a concerned look at Edward.

Irritation boiled in my stomach. I was a wolf stalking its prey, and I had set my eyes on Edward. And like said wolf, I'd destroy anyone that got in my way. However, that's where I ran into a problem. I knew that Edward cared for the girl, even if he didn't know it yet himself; one of the pros and cons of being a psychologist. I knew that if I hurt Ridley, I'd also hurt Edward. That was just something I couldn't do, something I wouldn't do willingly at least.

"Why protect her?" I asked once Ridley and Selina had left.

"Why not?" Edward defended. "Doesn't she remind you of someone?"

"Ridley is not Anna!" I roared, slamming Edward against the wall. I heard a _crack!_ as his head made contact with the cement. I instantly felt bad, but not that bad, the jackass had deserved it.

Edward blinked, trying to clear his blurry vision and winced when he moved his head.

"I know she's not Anna." He said softly, emotion crossing his features. "I know that." He repeated.

"Then why...?"

"I made a promise Jon," Edward said with a sigh. "You understand that right? I made a promise and I intend to keep it."

"That promise was made by a 15-year-old boy who didn't understand the full implications of what it meant." I sneered.

"You're just going to have to accept the fact," Edward said with a scowl. "Ridley's staying whether you like it or not. We need her. _I_ need her."

 _'Pathetic.'_ Scarecrow hissed. I was inclined to agree, and I told Edward such.

"That's pathetic." I spat, letting go of him and storming away.

"Jon." Edward said grabbing my arm. "Jonathan."

"What do you want?" I asked harshly, resisting the impulse to rip my arm out of his grip.

"I don't want this to get in the way of our friendship." He said letting go of my arm. He gave me such a forlorn look that I knew he was sincere, but I wasn't about to give in that easily.

"You should've thought about that earlier," I growled.

"I'm sorry Jon." Edward pressed. "I should've told you about Bruce being Barman, about Ridley, about everything."

"Forget it." I snarled, walking away.


	19. 【19】

**A/N: Hey guys! So sorry that this chapter is so short, the next one will be longer, I promise! Do you enjoy the story so far? What do you like and/or dislike? Do you have an predictions on what might happen? Let me know!**

* * *

 **Edwards P.O.V.**

I watched Jon walk away with a great deal of concern. I had known immediately when Scarecrow had decided to make his appearance, it worrisome. I remembered when Jon had successfully managed to contain his other half about 12 years ago. By accepting that part of him Jon had also managed to keep a tight leash on it. Scarecrow hadn't truly made an appearance since then, and for Jon to lose his grip after so long...

I shook my head before wincing at the headache that issued as a result. Jon hadn't held back then, I would probably have to take some painkillers later.

I tried to think of why Scarecrow had come back after so long. The only thing I could come up with was that he had conflicting thoughts about something. That usually was the case, they argued more then we did. Then what were they arguing about? It was possible that it was about Ridley, that seemed the most likely answer, but I felt like I was missing something.

Scowling, I made my way upstairs. I had bigger things to worry about then Jon and Scarecrow, even if it involved the latter. Scarecrow's influence caused Jon to be a lot more impulsive and he tended to act before thinking. This made things a lot more dangerous, especially during missions. Jon only did what he thought was necessary when Scarecrow wasn't around, but now... they could become extremely unpredictable. And that meant that I had to keep a closer eye on Ridley.

Jon had a point though, Ridley was not Anna, and I was falling into the habit of seeing her as such. I needed to stop. A flash of dirty blonde hair and soft grey eyes passed through my vision and I shook myself violently. I didn't need to think of that now.

There were several things that I regretted doing, and one of them involved Anna. I half hoped that I'd be able to right things by protecting Ridley, but it would I knew it'd be harder than I thought. Such things were never so simple.

Making my way to the kitchen, I passed by Jon's lab. He must've been inside because I heard the telltale signs of him working with his Fear Toxin. Checking the living room, I saw that Ridley, Selina, and Harley weren't anywhere to be seen. That was ok, I was a bit worried about Harley, but if Selina was with them then nothing quite that bad could happen.

Entering the kitchen and grabbing an ice pack from the freezer, I sat down at the table. Gingerly touching the back of my head, I felt the beginnings of a bump forming. Damn Jonathan. I scowled before applying the ice pack.


	20. 【20】

**Ridley's P.O.V.**

Hearing Edwards and Jon's argument made me highly uncomfortable. I knew that it wasn't just about Bruce being Batman, but also about me for whatever reason. I was about ready to completely lose it when Selina had slipped into the training room.

"They're really going at it, aren't they?" She asked.

I nodded. How long were they going to keep it up? No one could really stand it.

"Come on upstairs with me," Selina said kindly. "I got you something so we can change you up a bit. Harley's also upstairs. When she heard what we were going to be doing, she insisted on coming along."

Was Harley really here? I shifted uncomfortably. I'd become comfortable around Selina, Edward, and Jon, but just thinking about being around any others still put me on edge. Especially when it came to Joker and Harley.

"Harley's not that bad when she's not around Joker." Selina encouraged. "You'll see. She's like a crazy older sister of sorts."

She smiled at me and I shyly returned it before following her out into the hall. Edward and Jon were still in the middle of their shouting match, and Selina and I just stood there until they noticed us. When Jon fixed his gaze on me, I felt a sudden rush of fear that seemingly came out of nowhere. I shrunk closer to Selina and tried to understand why I suddenly felt like that.

After Selina lectured the guys, she guided me upstairs. I cast a worried look at Edward before following her.

"There ya are!" Harley exclaimed once we entered the living room. "I was wonderin' when ya'd be back." She flashed me a broad smile.

"I was thinking that we'd go up to Ridley's room for this," Selina said.

" 'Course!" Harley squealed. "You're gonna just love what Selina and I got for you!" She pranced down the hall and up the stairs.

 _Did you get me something?_ I signed, raising an eyebrow.

Selina sighed. "I wish I could understand you. I just don't have to time for Edward to teach me sign language. Here." She picked up a pad of paper and a pen that was sitting on the coffee table.

I wrote down my question and showed it to her.

"Yes," Selina said. "I imagine the boys weren't to subtitle on the fact that they wanted you to join us."

I shook my head.

"Figures." Selina rolled her eyes. "Anyways, I took the liberty of grabbing something that might go towards your disguise in the future."

I nodded in understanding before writing down a question that had been on my mind for a while: _Why do Edward and Jon fight so much?_ I had already gotten some sort of response from Edward on the subject, but if I wanted to know more, I'd have to ask more than one person. The first step to learning a someone's motives was to learn about who they were as a person.

Selina frowned as she read my question. "It's complicated." She said finally. "They've always been like that, though Jon is the one to usually initiate their fights. I've had my suspicions as to why but I'm still not completely 100% sure."

 _Sure of what?_ I wrote.

"It's nothing," Selina said. "I just-"

She was interrupted by Harley yelling down the stairs: "Are ya'll comin' or not?"

"Be right there!" Selina hollered back. "Come, Ridley." She said. "We might as well go up now. An impatient Harley is the worse."

I followed Selina upstairs and into my room where Harley was currently putting a sheet over my mirror. I noted several regular shopping bags (no garbage bags this time thankfully) in a pile on my bed.

"You're just gonna love this!" Harley told me turning around and digging through one of the bags.

She pulled out really nice looking green corset with black designs. Holding it up to me, she clicked her tongue before for tossing it away.

"Green just doesn't look good on ya." She pouted. "To bad for Eddie."

She went back to digging through the bag, muttering to herself. "No, that won't do... That would look just awful... No... Got it!" She tossed a handful of clothes at me. "Take a look at that."

Holding up what Harley had given me, I studied it. It was a straight black bodysuit, but before I could examine it more closely, Harley ripped it out of my hands and tossed it on top of the corset.

"That's too much like Selina's outfit." She said. "Aww, are we ever gonna find something?"

"Why don't you let Ridley decide?" Selina suggested. "She'll be wearing it after all."

"Oh alright." Harley pouted.

I hesitantly walked over to the bags and started going through them. I picked up a purple and black corset similar to the green one, but this one actually had a piece that went around the neck. Harley nodded her agreement when I showed it to her.

"That's perfect!" She clapped her hands. "I know just the things to go with that!"

She rummaged through another bag and pulled out a pair of black to purple gradient tights and a small pair of black leather shorts.

"So your concept's gonna be black and purple then?" She asked.

I nodded silently and took the clothes from her. I was a bit apprehensive about all of this because I knew once I did this, there would be no turning back.

"Now ya just need some shoes and makeup." Harley tapped her chin. "Whatta ya think Selina?"

"I think I might just have the right thing." Selina smiled before slipping out the door. A few moments later she came back in holding a pair of black knee-high combat boots. I immediately liked them. They had small pockets on the side so I could put any necessary things in them.

"Alright! We got all the basics taken care of, why don't ya put 'em on now?" Harley suggested.

I shrugged and moved to go to the bathroom only to be stopped by Harley.

"Ya don't have ta be shy about it." She said. "We're all women here. If the boys try to come in we'll kick 'em to the curb!"

I became even more uncomfortable with the thought of either Edward or Jon barging in on us and shook my head violently.

"You're not helping things, Harley," Selina interjected. "Ridley dear, you needn't be afraid, we all have our scars." She gave me an encouraging smile. I briefly wondered how Selina knew about my scars, but then I figured that they _all_ knew. Probably by some high profile stalking courtesy of Edward.

Shaking off the feeling of prudishness (one of the many things Richard liked to tease me about before getting shut down by Bruce), I quickly stripped down to my underwear and bra before donning on the new clothes. I had a tad bit of trouble with the shorts because they were at least a size of not a size and a half, to small. Once I put on the boots, I smoothed down the corset and gave an uncertain look at Harley and Selina.

"Ya look just amazing!" Harley squealed crushing me in a hug. I struggled, temporarily smothered by her chest before I managed to pushed her off me.

"You look very nice Ridley," Selina said. Thankfully she didn't try to hug me, though I sensed that she wanted to in an "my kitten is finally growing up" kind of way.

"Now for the fun stuff!" Harley exclaimed. How she had so much energy, I didn't know.

"Hmmm... Your color scheme's gonna be black and purple so..." She dug through yet _another_ bag and pulled out various boxes containing makeup. "But before we do that, we're gonna have ta get rid of this." She fingered my hair.

What!? I moved away from her and shook my head.

"Awe come on," Harley whined. "Please? I'm good at cutting hair. Not as good as Ivy, 'course that girl can cut anything; plants, hair... She's particularly good at cutting people off... Anyways ya get the idea." She waved a hand.

I had the sudden image of Poison Ivy cutting someone's hair with gardening shears and suppressed a shudder. There was no way I was going to do that.

Harley must've read my expression because her face hardened. "I'm gonna give ya a haircut whether ya like it or not. It's a needed change."

I sighed and gave in, there was no point in arguing was there?

"Sit." Harley said, pointing to the chair that sat in front of my desk.

Sitting, I turned so that it was easier for Harley to cut my hair. Picking up a pair of scissors, she started to cut my hair humming a song as she did so. Not having anything else to do while she did this, I watched Selina go around and put my things away. Occasionally she asked me where I wanted something and I just pointed to where I wanted it.

"Finished!" Harley declared ten minutes later. I reached up and felt my head, surprised by how short my hair now was. It reached a few inches past my ear and I now had side bangs which kept flopping into my face. I looked around for a mirror but there weren't any around.

"We're not done yet!" Harley said cheerfully; I groaned inwardly. What now?

"Close your eyes." She ordered.

I reluctantly closed my eyes and heard Harley rummaging around behind me. I heard her walk back over before she guided me to my feet.

"No looking." She said as I started to open my eyes.

I shut them again and I felt her guide me into what must've been my bathroom. Harley whistled as she plopped me down on the toilet seat and I heard her open something. The sharp scent of bleach hit my nose and I was halfway out of my seat before Harley pushed me down.

"Don't move." She said as she started to apply the bleach to my hair. "This won't take very long."

*three hours later*

"Alrighty!" Harley said triumphantly. "We're done! Ya can open your eyes now."

In the three hours that it had taken to dye my hair whatever color Harley had picked out, I was subject to all of her stories about her and "Mishta J". It was mildly interesting, but I got bored it quickly. If humans could sleep sitting up, I would've definitely passed out. Sadly, we can't (at least not easily, and definitely not when someone's talking) so I had to suffer.

During the time where the dye had been set, Harley had also taken the liberty of applying makeup to my face. My cheeks itched a bit, but besides that, it was fine. I hadn't worn makeup a lot before, so the whole concept of it was rather new to me.

Blinking at the harsh light of my bathroom I started when Harley's face appeared very close to my own.

"Dontcha just look so cute!" Harley said with a smile. She pushed me back into my room, not giving me a chance to check my reflection in the mirror. "Look Selina!"

Selina, who'd continued to put my room back together during the three hours of beautifying (at least in accordance with Harley), turned from my bookshelf. She smiled when she saw me. "The look really suits you."

"I know right!?" Harley squealed once again, this time jumping up and down. "I just did the best job ev'a!" She pranced around my room chanting "I did it! I did it!".

"Harley," Selina warned, "you're going to-"

One of Harley's stray arms hit the lamp by my bed fell on the floor with a mighty crash. Did I mention my floor was wood? It echoed. A lot.

"-knock something over." Selina finished with a sigh.

"Aw, I'm sorry!" Harley cried. "I didn't mean it! Honest!"

I moved to pick up the lamp when I heard footsteps on the stairs.

"Could you keep it down?" Edwards' voice floated through the door. "I kinda just got over a huge headache courtesy of an even bigger headache. It's not good for my IQ."

"Dontcha dare come in Eddie!" Harley shrieked.

Not heeding Harley's warning, Edward opened the door and paused when he saw me. I felt my face flush with embarrassment and I instinctively turned away from him, accidentally exposing my bare back that was covered with my scars. That damned corset.

"Ridley?" Edward asked in a strained voice.

"Get outta here!" Harley yelled, pushing Edward out the door. She slammed it in his face before turning around. "Men these days! Always wantin' to get a peek at somethin' that their eyes ain't ready for!" She snorted.

"However..." Her eyes twinkled when she focused her gaze on me. "I think that Eddie liked what he saw." She giggled. "Dontcha agree Selina?"

"It's very possible," Selina said with an amused look, "but who knows?"

"Eddies gotta crush!" Harley sang. I was 99% sure that my face was as bright as a tomato.

"Harley," Selina said, "aren't you forgetting something?"

"Huh?" Harley scratched her head. "Oh, yea! Three more things! First..." She finally ripped the sheet off of the mirror. "Look at cha self!"

I turned around to face the mirror slowly and was shocked at what I saw. The girl looking back out at me was something entirely new. Her face was framed with short pale purple hair, and her brown eyes seemed brighter somehow with the purple eyeshadow. Was this really me?

"Do ya like it?" Harley asked, vibrating with excitement like a massage chair.

I nodded silently. I did like it. I didn't know until then that I liked it. Had someone told me two weeks ago that is get kidnapped by the Rouges and made into something entirely new, I would've not believed them.

"Second thing!" Harley said, picking up and tossing me the last bag that hadn't been opened yet. "Here's ya mask."

I opened the bag and peered inside before taking it out. It was a full face mask, black with stylized silver designs on it. A large portion of the silver surrounded the eye holes which formed a second mask on top of the first.

"Try it on!" Harley said.

I obliged and put the mask on, adjusting the strap that held it in place. It was a bit uncomfortable, but nothing that I couldn't get used to.

"Perfect!" Harley said happily. "Now all ya need is ya name!"

My name? I took off the mask and frowned.

"Ya know, ya villain name! The one that strikes fear into people's hearts." Harley said like I was dumb. "What will people scream when they see ya? Look out here comes_!"

"A name just doesn't pop out of nowhere." Selina reminded Harley. "It takes time to evolve and spread."

"I know, I know," Harley said waving a hand. "But she needs a basis."

"I think that we should let Ridley explore her options on her own," Selina said. "Let her find her own way. Choose something that's right for her without us impeaching her decision."

"Alright then," Harley said, not sounding too happy. "But I wanna know what it is before anyone else does ok?"

 _Sure._ I shrugged.

"Yay!" Harley said.

"Come on Harley," Selina said, guiding Harley out of my room. "We spent more time than I thought with this. I need to make sure that the guys aren't beating each other up and are ready for tonight's mission."

"Fine." Harley pouted. "Well, I'll see ya later Ridley! Ya one of us now!" She called cheerfully over her shoulder.

 _Please make that a long while_. I thought silently. There was only so much of Harley Quinn that I could stand.


	21. 【21】

Immediately after Selina and Harley had left, I took off the clothes that would eventually be my disguise. Was I admitting to myself that I would actually join them by calling it my disguise? I guess I was, and oddly, I didn't feel any sense of wrong with that decision. Throwing on a pair of sweats and a top that said 'Please cancel my subscription to your issues', picked up a book from my shelf (Dante's _Inferno_ ) and began to read.

I must've fallen asleep at some point because the next thing I knew, I'd woken up from a really weird dream. Thankfully no nightmares, but still. Dreaming about I gigantic bird pecking at your window and yelling at you to wake up, was classified as weird.

Sitting up with a yawn and a stretch, I glanced at my clock to find that it was 10:30. I didn't recall what time I'd fallen asleep, but I figured that Selina, Edward, and Jon left a long while ago. Noticing a folded piece of paper next to my alarm clock, I picked it up and unfolded it.

 _We're setting off on our mission now, won't probably be back until early next morning, probably 3 or 4. Don't stay up and don't do anything stupid._

 _\- Edward_

I scowled after I read the note. Obviously, he had to come into my room to drop it off, just how long did he stay in here watching me sleep? Creep. Maybe he was the source of my weird dream.

I heard the consistent tapping like in my dream on my window.

...or maybe not.

What was it? Getting out of bed and placing my book on top of the note, I tiptoed over to the window and peered out. I jerked back in surprise when a masked face popped up right in front of me. Upon closer inspection, I saw that the face was attached to a neck, which in turn was attached to a body clad in a black and blue spandex leotard; something I _really_ didn't need to see.

"Ridley." A voice hissed as I turned from the window.

I froze and turned back around, actually kind of recognizing who it was; Richard. Of course, he was under his other alias, Nightwing, but it was still him.

 _Richard?_ I signed, although it was really just the letter R.

"Open the window?" He asked, motioning towards the lock which was on the inside.

I nodded and tried to open the window. It was stuck so I had to forcefully push it, unfortunately, it opened outward instead of inward, and Richard almost lost his balance. I managed to grab his arm and pull him inside with some difficulty.

"Thanks." He whispered.

 _No problem_. I sighed. _What are you doing here?_

"I could ask you the same thing!" Richard said. "We got word from the G.C.P.D. that you somehow managed to escape. Why not come and did us?" He gave me a hurt look.

 _I was going to but..._ My hands faltered. Why had I not done that? I still didn't exactly know. _I don't know_. I signed finally. _It's complicated._

"Complicated!?" Richard whisper yelled. "What part of this is complicated!?"

 _I don't know! I'm learning things. Things about my past; what happened before. I need to know._

"Bruce would've told you." Richard pointed out. "All you had to do was ask."

 _No, he wouldn't have_. I shook my head. _You know that._

"I would've helped you," Richard said softly. "You know that Ridley. I would've reasoned with Bruce until he told you."

 _I know_ , I signed. _But..._ I spread my hands.

"Ridley." Richard pleaded. "Please come back with me. Bruce hasn't been the same. He's got an even shorter temper and is making Alfred and I's lives more difficult. We all need you."

 _Do you?_ I asked. _Really? You've never seemed to really need me until now._

Richard flinched. Only then did I realize how cold I had been.

"They've changed you," Richard said, his voice turning bitter.

 _Maybe this is how I've always been_. I responded. _You never really knew me, heck, even I never really knew who I really was._

"And I suppose the Rouges told you?" Richard bit back.

 _Well, no_. I admitted. _But I have some leads._

"Oh, so you have some leads," Richard said sarcastically.

 _It's better than nothing!_ I signed, getting angry.

"You're using sign language again," Richard noted, changing the subject.

 _Yeah, Edward retaught me-_

"Edward!?" Richard yelled, completely abandoning his mask of calm. "And I suppose that you call the other Rouges by their first names?"

 _Only Selina and Jon_. Wrong thing to say. Richards' face turned to one of pure rage. I shrunk back, not having seen him like this before.

Richard took a deep breath and tried to steady his nerves. "I'm sorry for yelling at you." He said. "I'm just surprised."

 _It's understandable_. I signed. _No worries._

"But I am worrying," Richard said. "I worry, Bruce worries. We all worry about you Ridley. When we heard that you'd been kidnapped..." He trailed off.

 _How did Bruce react?_

"Not very well," Richard admitted. "He wanted to go right after the Rouges, without so much of a plan. Alfred managed to convince him to wait a bit and formulate some way to get you back. By then, however, the press was all over it. It wasn't wise for Bruce to do anything. He's waiting until everything dies down."

 _Dies down?_ Dies down?

"Ridley please," Richard said. "Understand how hard this is for Bruce. You get kidnapped and then one of the very things that he tried to keep away from you suddenly attacks. He's having a hard time making any moves was Bruce Wayne and as Batman."

 _Does he know you're here?_

"No." Richard shook my head. "There was a bank robbery Downtown that he had to go and stop. So no, he has no idea I'm here. As far as he knows, I'm back at the manor organizing the weapons stock."

A bank robbery. Downtown. Oh no... That must've been the 'mission' that Edward and the others went on. I hoped that they wouldn't get caught and put in Arkham, but that just made me confused because wasn't I supposed to hope they would get put in Arkham?

"Ridley-"

 _I have a question_. I interrupted. _It's what you said about you needing me. Ed-_ I quickly changed my signs. _Riddler told me that I was just a chess piece on the chessboard that is Gotham._

"I wouldn't trust anything he or the others say," Richard said darkly. "It's nothing but lies and half-truths."

 _But is it true?_ I pressed. _Am I just a piece to be moved around and played when needed?_

"It's more complicated than that," Richard said hesitantly. "You're really important. Capable of turning the tide in the struggle for power."

 _Just answer me!_ I signed, getting frustrated. I felt tears prick the back of my eyes. If I was- if I was just a pawn in a game to be played and discarded when necessary... I clenched my fists. I couldn't handle this much longer. I simply existed just to fill their needs, anyone's needs. Wielded and molded to serve whoever possessed me.

"To keep to the chess theme I guess," Richard said with a defeated sigh. "You're the White Queen. The most powerful piece on the board. Do you understand that? You're capable of being anything you want to be. Bruce knows that. Our enemies know that. Bruce and did our best to train you on how to survive these things, but in reality, your survival depends on yourself. Are you going to sink or swim?"

 _Neither. I going to make my own path, free of anyone's control_.

I was tired of being treated like a pawn, or a so-called "White Queen". I needed to do what was right for me, and me alone. But that was going to be hard, especially since my mind didn't agree with my heart and vice versa. My mind rebelled against the thought of leaving Bruce and Richard, but I knew in my heart that being with Edward and the others I'd learn more about myself, and I'd get to have a sort of freedom that being with Bruce never allowed. Nobody was in charge of me, I was my own person. I was free to do whatever I wished to do. I realized that I was now an adult.

Pulling myself together, I squared my shoulders and met Richards gaze head-on. I was desperate for a change, I craved it. And here was the crossroads that would change my life inevitably. Was I certain that I'd reach a happy ending? No, far from it. But was I certain that I could live my life to the fullest and have no regrets? Possibly.

"Ridley," Richard said, seeing the look on my face,"I know you've already made a decision, but I'm going to ask this anyways. I'm _asking_. Will you come back with me?"

 _I'm sorry Richard_. I signed slowly. _I won't._

"Ridley."

 _We're done here_. I signed. _This conversation is over. The only thing I ask is that you don't tell Bruce about any of this. It's for his own good._

"Alright." Richard sighed. "I hate to say this, but next time we meet, and I know we will, you'll be my enemy. And next time, I won't hesitate to put you in Arkham."

I know. I said silently, turning away from him and closing my eyes. A single tear slipped out and rand down my cheek.

"One last thing before I go." He said, oblivious to what I was feeling. "I like your new haircut."

With that, he jumped out the window and disappeared into the night. I closed the window carefully, making sure it was shut all the way and closed the curtains. I was past the point of no return now. I wouldn't surrender in the slightest. Not to Bruce, not to Richard, not to Edward or any of the others. This life was mine and I intended to live it as I wanted to.

###

 **A/N: Greetings readers! How do you enjoy the story so far? We're finally done with the introduction! Now we move on to the more interesting stuff... Not saying that the past 18 chapters haven't been interesting! What do you think of Ridley's choice? Was it good or bad?**

 **Look forward to the coming chapters after this! I'll really be exploring the feelings the characters have (Edward and Jon *wink*), and will also be introducing more characters!**

 **Chao!**


	22. 【22】

I promptly fell back asleep once Richard had left, though I didn't know how I did it. I must've had so much on my mind that it overloaded my brain. Because of that I slept like the dead with no dreams whatsoever. When I woke up again, I was still tired, but that was understandable as I'd just woken up. Walking out of my room and down the stairs, I had a sense of déjà vu from yesterday. But unlike yesterday, the only person that was out and about was Edward.

He was in the living room reading a book titled: ' _The Riddle of the Labyrinth: The Quest to Crack an Ancient Code.'_

 _What are you reading about?_ I signed, sitting on the couch across from the chair he was sitting in.

"Oh hey Ridley," Edward said distractedly, flipping a page. "This book is fascinating. It tells a story of mystery, intrigue, linguistics, and cryptology."

 _Sounds a bit dull_. I signed, though it did sound interesting. Not that I was going to tell him that though.

"What you're reading is dull," Edward replied not missing a beat. " _Inferno_ , while being a well-known piece, deals with fantasy and unrealistic ideals. It doesn't contain a single ounce of realism. This, however," he tapped a page, "while it still is fiction, it's also historically accurate. There is no God, only man. Man is God, able to create and destroy what he wishes."

 _Says the atheist._

"I'm a man of science and reason," Edward said, adjusting his glasses in such a sophisticated matter that I had to crack a smile.

"How did you know I was an atheist?" Edward asked, shutting the book at looking at me.

I shrugged, _I just guessed. How'd you know that I was reading_ Inferno _?_

"I'm just smart enough to guess those types of things," Edward said with a smile. "Actually, I left that note in your room last night. I saw it then."

 _Oh, I see._

"I do want to know something though," Edward added. "Why didn't you go with Nightwing?"

What! How do you know about-

"Please," Edward said, waving a hand. "I wouldn't be a good villain if I didn't have survalence on my 'prisoner'." He did air quotes.

 _So you're going all voyeur on me?_ I raised an eyebrow.

"God no." Edward snorted. "Why would I want to do that?"

 _Cause you're a creep?_

"I'm offended," Edward said, giving me a hurt look. "No, it's really because if something happens like last night," Edward said shaking his head. "I knew that Nightwing was here anyway. I have more than just traps set up around here. There's a completely separate computer that I use just for survalence."

 _Where's Selina and Jon?_ I asked, not really wanting to know more about Edwards 'survalence'.

"Selina went to wherever she goes when she's not here and Jon's taking a nap; I think. I actually don't know what he's doing." Edward shrugged.

 _Was last night that bad?_

"Barman showed up at the most inconvenient time," Edward responded. "We managed to get away but... it was too close of a call to my liking."

"Yeah cause someone was being an idiot," Jon said from the doorway.

"You're awake." Edward said, ignoring Jons 'idiot' comment, at least for now.

"I never slept," Jon said. "I was... thinking." He gave an irritated look to no one in particular.

 _Why was it a close call?_ I asked.

"We got caught up in something else," Edward said vaguely. "I've been meaning to ask you this but an interesting thing that I noticed last night was that Robin wasn't with Batman."

"Just be thankful that he wasn't," Jon grunted. "We would've been thrown in Arkham if he was."

"I know that," Edward said, sounding slightly annoyed. "I was just going to ask Ridley if she knew why."

 _I don't know_. I lied. _Maybe he was off doing something else?_

"That's possible." Edward mused. "I just think it's odd that when Robin's gone, Nightwing pops up. You'd think because they're both vigilantes that they'd work together you know?"

"I already told you," Jon said sounding terse. "Just because they're both vigilantes doesn't mean that they have to work together. You should know that."

"I do know that!" Edward protested, twisting around to face Jon. "I'm just saying that the whole thing is rather odd, don't you agree?"

"You're the only one who thinks it's odd," Jon said, "I could care less. It just makes things easier for us."

Edward grumbled before turning back around and picked his book back up. He opened it and began to read once again.

"Are you ignoring me?" Jon demanded, walking over to us.

"I wasn't aware you were talking," Edward said Idly. "All I heard was noise."

"Erg." Jon scowled and stomped forward until he stood directly in front of Edward.

"Do you hear me now?" He hissed, slapping the book out of Edwards' hands. The book hit the ground with a loud thump and I flinched. Jons demeanor seemed slightly different, and I didn't particularly have a good feeling about what it entailed.

Edward just leaned back and smiled despite the obviously irritated man in front of him.

"Whatever do you mean?" Edward asked innocently. "All I hear is a slight buzzing sound."

He smirked and I realized that while Selina said that Jon started their arguments, Edward didn't do anything to stop them. He just kept egging Jon on. They were both to blame.

"Damnit Nygma!" Jon yelled, grabbing Edward by his shirt. I made to intervene but he just shot me a warning look and shook his head slightly. "Quit playing games!"

"I thought you liked playing games with me," Edward said, surprisingly calm despite his current situation. "Didn't you claim that it was your favorite pastime?"

"I-I do- I mean I- it's not like I-" Jon started to stammer, making me slightly confused. Talk about bipolar much?

"I-it's not like I have a choice!" Jon finally snapped. "You'd just keep bugging me until I said yes! I only did it because of that s-so don't get the wrong idea, ok?"

Something poked the back of my brain with that last comment. Where had I heard that before? I know I'd heard it from somewhere.

"If you're done with your episode, would you care to let me go?" Edward asked mildly.

"Fine!" Jon said releasing Edward.

Edward smoothed the wrinkles from his shirt and grinned at Jon. "I like this part of you, Jon. It's refreshing."

"S-shut up!" Jon said before storming out of the room.

"Well that was interesting," Edward remarked after Jon had left. "Wouldn't you agree?"

 _More like concerning_. I signed. _Why do you goad him on like that?_

"Why not?" Edward shrugged. "He's so easy to bait." He got up, swaying on his feet a bit before sitting back down with a wince. "Damn." He held his side.

 _What is it?_ I asked, concerned. _Let me see._ I walked over to him and he moved his hand just enough so that I could see a dark stain on his shirt.

 _How the hell did this happen?_ I signed, in shock.

"Got hit with a Batarang," Edward said. "Jon would've been seriously injured if I hadn't interpreted it."

 _So you decided to be all heroic about it and get hit yourself?_ I raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing that couldn't be fixed easily with a few stitches." Edward pointed out. "If Jon had taken the hit then he would've been injured enough that he'd had to have gone to the hospital. If he a normal citizen. I can take a few stitches if it means that Jon stays out of Arkham."

I was surprised by what Edward said. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't have believed that Edward actually cared about anyone but himself. But after being around him and the others for a while now, I've come to realize that most of the egotistical attitude Edward had, was a front. Why I had no idea.

 _Let me see it._ I signed before gently pushing his hand away and lifting up the side of his shirt. I actually had to more like peel it off because of the amount of blood. He'd gotten more than simply cut with the Batarang. A surge of irritation towards Bruce went through me. He'd never intentionally tried to hurt someone with his Batarangs, but from what Edward said, it seemed like he's purposely thrown one at Jon.

These stitches are horrible. I signed, shaking my head. No wonder they split. Who did these?

"Jon," Edward said, "he kept on yelling at me the whole time."

Why was Jon the center of all the problems that happened? It was very annoying. Why did he continue to live here with Edward if it caused so many issues? He kept fighting and being a generally not nice person though I was sure that he could be. Despite the obvious grief it caused, he made no move to leave. It was like he actually liked- oh. _Oh._ So that's what it was. Suddenly everything made sense, Jons attitude toward Edward; everything.

"What's with that look on your face?" Edward asked. "You look like you just discovered the solution to climate change."

 _Nothing_. I signed quickly. We need to restitch your wound. I calmly explained to him what I needed and asked him where I could get it. On the inside though... I was a turbulent mess. Things clicked into place and I realized that Jon was, in reality, acting like a tsundere towards Edward. Jon _liked_ Edward but didn't know how to convey his feelings so he acted like a jerk.

This was big but I wouldn't tell Edward. That was for Jon to do. I wasn't phased by learning this fact, Bruce had raised me so that I'd be very open and accepting. I did have to admit that it was rather cute, but if I told Jon such I'd probably automatically get gassed in the face.

"What's that?" Edward asked, pulling me out of my thoughts. His face was a bit pale from the blood loss, the wound was a lot worse than he made it out to be.

 _What?_ I signed. I needed to stop thinking about my discovery and focus on Edward.

"You spelled out a word," Edward said looking at me. "T-S-U-N-D-E-R-E." He spelled it out. "I assume you pronounce it like 'tus-un-der-eh'?"

Had this been any other type of situation, I would've smiled at his attempt to pronounciate the word but instead, I scowled. _Doesn't matter. What does matter is making sure you don't bleed out on the couch. It's just another thing for Jon to yell about._

"True." Edward mused. How could he not be concerned with the fact that he was bleeding out?

 _First aid kit?_

"Upstairs in my bathroom," Edward said. "What do you need me to do in the meantime?"

 _You'd have to lay down so I can stitch the wound_. I signed. _But you won't be able to move for a while afterward so I suggest you choose someplace comfortable._

"So staying in the chair is out of the question," Edward said wryly.

I gave him my best 'duh' look and rolled my eyes. This was no time to joke around!

"What about the floor then?"

 _Go right ahead. Unless you want Jon to step on you. Which he'd probably do and then say it was an accident._

"Good point," Edward said thoughtfully. "Well, the first aid kits already in my room so we might as well go up there."

 _Can you even make it up there?_

"If you help me, then yes," Edward said with a smile. "I have no doubts about that."

 _Take your shirt off then._

"What?"

I rolled my eyes again. For a claimed genius he sure was dense.

 _You need something to staunch the wound until we can get upstairs_. I explained. _Unless you want to bleed all over the place._

"Fine," Edward said.

I ended up having to help Edward take his shirt off, he couldn't do it without causing himself some sort of immense pain. Once the shirt was off I instructed him to hold it to his side and apply pressure. From there it was a painful trip up the stairs and down the hall to his room.

I was momentarily stunned when I saw Edwards room. It was huge, with a large king sized bed up against the opposite wall and several computer monitors scattered around. A ladder led up a second level where even more computers and a ton of books were. Did I mention how many books he had? It was enough to outfit a public library. I probably would've gone through them all if I hadn't had to take care of him first.

Spying a low-end couch on the left, I hauled Edward over and set him down. He groaned and tried to roll over. I had to stop him from rolling off the couch. I should've just made him lay on the floor down in the living room, he'd almost passed out when I had gotten him to his feet. Needless to say, he was in bad shape.

 _Where's the bathroom?_ I signed once I had got him settled.

"Underneath the second level," Edward said slightly put out. "The first aid kit is in the cabinet under the sink."

Leaving him on the couch I quickly entered the bathroom and dug out the first aid kit before taking a clean towel (unfortunately white) and soaking it with water from the sink. His bathroom was also fairly nice, very modern which I didn't expect.

Rushing back out, I dropped to my knees at his side and opened the first aid kit, taking out what I needed. Needle, a small pair of pliers, thread, disinfectant, and bandages. Edward watched me through lidded eyes, but I didn't let his staring affect me.

Carefully peeling way the now ruined shirt, I tossed it away, gently applied the washcloth and started to wipe the blood away. Edward winced every so often but stayed generally still. Once I'd gotten the blood whipped off I could inspect the wound better. All that freaking blood came from a five inch long, half an inch deep cut. Not as bad as I expected it to be from the amount of blood. The ripped and torn edges of Jons poor attempt at stitching made it hard for me to pick them out, but I managed, along with a ton of whimpering and grunts of pain from Edward. What a baby.

 _This'll hurt_. I signed, picking up the disinfectant wipe before quickly running it over the wound. Edwards stomach clenched and he nearly shot upwards in alarm and pain. I pushed him back down with a frown.

 _You don't want to start bleeding again_. I signed. You're lucky that it's already clotting.

Edward groaned and muttered something incomprehensible before turning his head away from me. I haven't picked up the needle and made sure it was sterilized before feeding the end of the thread through the eye.

Once that was taken care of, I turned it back to Edward and started to stitch the wound closed. He didn't have exactly the best pain tolerance but managed to suffer through it.

 _There_. I signed after I'd tied off the last stitch and cut the thread.

"Thanks," Edward mumbled.

 _No problem_.

I began to clean up, leaving the bandages out so I could wrap the wound once he could sit up. Standing, I walked back to the bathroom to put things away. The washcloth was probably salvageable, but definitely not the shirt so I threw that out. Staring at myself in the mirror I suddenly felt exhausted by this whole ordeal. I quickly washed my hands from the blood and made my way back out into the room.

 _Do you think you can sit up?_ I signed.

"Didn't you tell me but I couldn't move once I had laid down?" Edward asked, somewhat normal now that I wasn't sticking him with a needle.

 _My stitches will hold_. I signed. _Unlike Jon, I actually do know how to stitch wounds._

"Is that because of Bruce?" Edward asked, easing himself up carefully.

 _Yes_. I helped him sit up. I unwrapped the gauze from its package and put it over the wound before grabbing the bindings. Keeping the gauze in place, I began to wrap it keeping it tight enough to hold the gauze in place, but loose enough so it didn't constrict movement.

"Well, I definitely owe you one," Edward said with a smile when I had finished.

I suddenly became very aware of my own situation. I was in a room, alone, with a shirtless guy. Ok yes, I've stitched wounds before and have encountered this, but that was with Bruce. With Edward it was vastly different; of course, it was. My eyes, as if they had a mind of their own, studied his body. He wasn't overly muscular, but also not really scrawny either. I noted that he had very nice abs before I realized what I was thinking and blushed.

"Take a picture," Edward said with a smirk. "It might last longer."

I blushed even harder and looked away. Why was I suddenly acting like this? It must be because the hot in here. I decided. _My face is red because it's hot._ I told myself. _Rather, he's hot_. What!? Did I just say that he was hot? I was going crazy and needed to get out of here.

 _You're welcome_. I signed quickly before basically fleeing the room. Stupid!


	23. 【23】

I locked myself in my room for the rest of the day. Childish, I know, but I didn't want any human interaction for a while. I was confused and when I was confused, I tended to panic. I didn't understand why it was just something that happened. I did freak out, I had locked myself in my room, right? I immediately started searching for the camera that Edward must've put in my room. After 20 minutes I found it: embedded in my door frame. Go figure. I flipped the camera off just in case if he was watching me at that particular moment.

Once finding the camera, I decided to let it be for now. I'd deal with it when I felt like it. Picking up my book, I continued to read from where I left off.

 _"Lying in a featherbed will not bring you fame, nor staying beneath the quilt, and he who uses up his life without achieving fame leaves no more vestige of himself on the earth than smoke in the air or foam upon the water."_

I kept reading until I had finished the book. I felt a bit put out that I wasn't able to read the next part, _Purgatorio_. I simply didn't have it. Despite what Edward had said about _Inferno_ , I was certain that he had a copy of the next two parts of _The Divine Comedy_. He had to with all the books he had.

I got bored quickly with nothing much to do after finishing the book so I picked up another one to read. This time it was _Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There_. I didn't particularly like it, so I didn't know why I was reading it. I ended up just flipping through the book but paused when I came across a passage about the White Queen.

 _"Living backward!" Alice repeated in great astonishment. "I never heard of such a thing!"_  
 _"- but there's one great advantage in it, that one's memory works both ways."_  
 _"I'm sure_ mine _only works one way," Alice remarked. "I can't remember things before they happen."_  
 _"It's a poor sort of memory that only works backward," the_ [White] _Queen remarked._

Hadn't Richard compared me to a White Queen? Not the one in the story specifically, but it couldn't be a coincidence, could it? If I had any semblance of an electronic device, I would've been able to look up more information. Sadly, I did not. I was effectively cut off from the rest of the world. Not that I hadn't been when I was with Bruce and Richard, at least then I was able to go online and what not.

Sighing, I shut the book and put it away. My eyes strayed to the coffee stained clothes that I still hadn't washed since two days ago. I remembered then that I had made a note to write down everything that Barbara had told me. Come to think of it, I had a lot to write about. Maybe when this was all over I could publish it. Grabbing a notebook and a pencil, I got down to writing everything I could remember since my kidnapping and anything I thought pertained to it.

That took me right up until dinner when Selina came up and tried to get me to come down to eat. But talking to a mute person through a door was like, well, talking to a door.

"Ridley," Selina said. "Won't you come out and eat with us? Edward said that you were holed up in your room for most of the day."

I continued writing and dutifully ignored her.

"It's not good for you, you know." She continued through the door. "Being in there the whole time. Nothing will get accomplished."

 _And what types of things do I have to accomplish?_ I silently asked. _I'm stuck here doing nothing._

"Are you going to open this door?"

 _No._

"You can't stay in there forever."

 _Yes, I can_. I was being stubborn and I knew that it wasn't fair to her, but I didn't want to go out.

"Fine," Selina said, sounding clearly frustrated. "Stay in there and I'll bring your food up to you. But this won't happen again, alright?"

 _Whatever._

I heard Selina walk away and rolled my eyes. She was certainly the only mother figure I'd ever had in my life, but that didn't mean that it wasn't annoying. She tried to coddle me one moment and then was lecturing me the next.

I thought about Edward and Jon and how they acted towards me. Jon hated me for whatever reason, though that reason might be a bit clearer now and Edward... He was the one behind my kidnapping but, he'd been nice to me from the start. When I'd escaped he didn't yell at me when he found me, he'd be concerned. And not about me going and telling the authorities about where the warehouse was. He was concerned about me as a person. If _I_ was alright.

And because of how Edward treated me, Jon hated me for it. I smiled slightly when I thought about it. They'd be cute together. If Jon could stop being an ass and quit harming Edward, both verbally and now physically. Not that the Batarang was his fault, it had been Edwards choice to take the hit.

It made me a bit sad when I thought about it. They all had each other and I didn't have anyone. For the first time in a while, I wished that I could speak. This muteness was just a barrier that kept me apart from people. The doctors told Bruce that nothing was wrong with my vocal chords but clearly something was wrong, I couldn't speak! If it wasn't my vocal chords, then what was it?

Was it psychological? I read something about that once when I was looking up the possibilities of why I couldn't remember anything from before Bruce found me. I could probably as Jon since he technically was a psychologist, but I'd rather not know then ask him about it.

After a while, I went and opened the door and peeked out. The hallway was empty but there was a tray of food left for me outside my door; I almost stepped on it.

Picking up the tray, I went back into my room. The smell of chicken made my stomach growl. I briefly wondered who made it, but then dismissed the thought. It didn't matter. I had food, that was the only thing that did.

Sitting down at my desk, I began to devour it. In a few short minutes, I had completely finished my dinner and knew that I would probably pay for it later. I always got an upset stomach whenever I ate to fast, but I couldn't help it this time around. Who knew that being in my room for the whole day would work up an appetite? I left my plate on my desk deciding to bring it back downstairs in the morning and went to the bathroom to get ready for bed.

Brushing my teeth I stifled a yawn. Tomorrow I would apologize for how I'd acted and explained why. The whole thing bothered me and would keep bothering me until I cleared it from my conscious. Though I wasn't one to hold a grudge, I kept things in my mind that gradually began to eat away at me from the inside.

I pulled on a pair of pajamas and crawled into bed, hoping that I wouldn't have any bad dreams. But like usual, I rarely got what I wanted.


	24. 【24】

**Third Person P.O.V.**

 _The moon hung low in the sky, it's full, glowing light, shining down on the restless city. Gotham never fully slept, there was always some sort of action, but tonight it was eerily quiet. A dog barked, the sound echoing off of the buildings. A shadow peeled itself off of the wall in an unnaturally well-kept neighborhood, slinking and sliding from one shadowy corner to the next._

 _His target was a simple two-story home on the very edge of the neighborhood. One might guess that he targeted it because it was the nicest, but that was far from the truth. He came because they had to collect something that rightfully belonged to him._

 _The man with a head as bald as a newborn babe stepped out of the shadows, the moon glimmering off of his pale skin._

 _"Time for some fun." He said. His voice as smooth and sharp as the blades he carried. His watery blue-grey eyes passed over the home, taking in the neatly trimmed yard and flower curtained windows that were lit up with light. Lip curling, the man knew that he'd take pleasure in what he had to do, more than usual anyway. With deft movements, the man silently stalked toward the house. Oh yes, he'd enjoy this very much._

 _A young girl, no older than six, bounced excitedly on her bed, not believing that it was her birthday. Her parents had promised that she'd get to stay up until midnight as a special treat. Her parents promised her many things, and to say that she was slightly spoiled was an understatement. She was always respectful though, never once bragging to anyone._

 _The girl smiled and turned as her mother entered the room._

 _"Momma!" The girl squealed, jumping into the woman's arms._

 _"My darling little girl." Her mother said, grey eyes full of love and compassion. "It's midnight. Time for you to go to bed."_

 _"But momma," the girl whined. "Can't I stay up with you and daddy?"_

 _"No my child," the woman said patiently, stroking the girl's hair. "You must sleep. Tomorrow will be a big day for you."_

 _"Bear's coming over right?" The girl perked up._

 _"Yes," the woman said. "I heard he has something very special to give you for your birthday. But you won't get it unless you go to sleep."_

 _"Ok!" The girl declared. "I will sleep!" She scrambled out of her mothers' arms and crawled under her covers._

 _The woman chuckled, "Good girl. Shall I call your friend in?"_

 _"Yes!"_

 _The woman gave a low whistle and within seconds, a large brown and black mass hurtled into the room, it's feet splaying on the wood floor as it tried to gain its balance. The girl giggled and held out her arms and the German Shepard jumped onto her bed, licking her face with gusto, causing the girl to laugh harder._

 _"He'll protect you." The woman said with a smile. "He'll always be with you where ever you go."_

 _"Even in my dreams?" The girl asked, looking up from where she's buried her face in the dogs fur._

 _"Even in your dreams." The woman promised._

 _A sudden crash came from the downstairs and the woman started._

 _"What was that momma?" The girl asked as her mother slowly turned towards the door._

 _"Nothing to worry about dear." Her mother said. "It's probably daddy accidentally dropping something. I'll go down and check."_

 _"I wanna go with you!" The girl cried._

 _"No." Her mothers' harsh voice made the girl pause. He mother had never used that voice with her, the girl was suddenly scared. "Stay here alright? I'll yell out secret code word, then you can come down and have a little birthday treat, ok?"_

 _"Ok!"_

 _"Keep her safe." Her mother patted the dog on its head before disappearing out the door._

 _The girl chatted with the dog as she waited._

 _"What do you think the surprise will be?" She asked. "Ice cream? Cake? Ooo, what about ice cream cake?" She got a dreamy look on her face and flinched in alarm as another loud crash issued from downstairs._

 _"What do you think is going on?" She whispered to the dog. "I wanna go down and see but momma said not to. What do you think?"_

 _The dog let out a huge yawn before flipping down on the bed with a sigh._

 _"Stay then?" The girl asked. "Oh alright, but only until momma says it's alright to come down."_

 _She snuggled closer to the dog and her eyes fluttered close only to snap back open when she heard yelling._

 _"Don't touch her you bastard!" She heard her father yell._

 _The girl had never heard such language come from her father. Bear had occasionally cursed around her, but he always got reprimanded by the girls' parents. '_ Don't say that around our daughter _.' They'd say._

 _The sound of shattering glass reached the girls' ears and she tried to block it out by covering them._

 _"I'm scared," she whispered to the dog. "What's going on? Are momma and daddy in trouble?"_

 _The girl became conflicted. Her mother had told her not to come down until she'd called, but she's also taught her to help those that were in trouble. There was a possibility that her parents were in trouble, so what should she do? Stay and wait or go and try to help?_

 _The combined need to know what was going on and to help is what drove the girl to summon the courage to leave the safety of her room. The dog perked its ears as the girl tiptoed towards her door._

 _"Come on." The girl whispered. "Momma said that you'd protect me."_

 _The dog lept off the bed and followed the girl out into the hall. Creeping down the hall, the girl peered around the corner. The once spotless living room was now trashed, with the couch overturned and the coffee table smashed. Hearing noises from the kitchen, the girl hesitantly stepped into the living room. Picking her way through the mess with the dog close at her side, the girl gradually grew closer to the kitchen._

 _She was stopped, however, when a large mass cut across her path. The dog laid back his ears and snarled._

 _"Don't do that." The girl said. "It's just daddy." She recognized the purple shirt that he was so fond of wearing._

 _"Come on daddy." The girl said crouching down and shaking his shoulder. "Get up, momma and I need you. It's no time to sleep, the living room is a mess."_

 _Getting no response, the girl shook him harder. "Daddy? Wake up!" She became desperate then, he wasn't responding to her. What was wrong?_

 _Grunting, the girl heaved her father over and he landed on his back with a muffled thump. His once warm brown eyes were dull and lifeless._

 _"Daddy?" The girl asked softly. She wasn't young enough to not know about death, but she'd never come in contact with it before. Not like this. "Daddy!" The girl searched frantically for anything to save him, though in the back of her mind she knew it was pointless. There were deep knife wounds on his body, on his sides and chest. There were a lot of them to, the girl could see where they were because of the rips in his shirt._

 _The girl would've gone on trying to garner some sort of understanding of what had happened, but the dog growled again, this time at the kitchen door where the sounds of a struggle emitted._

 _Reluctantly the girl rose unsteadily to her feet, her body swaying. What was going on? Why was her dad on the floor clearly dead? Who'd killed him and why? Where was her mother?_

 _These questions clouded the girls' mind, her already overloaded brain causing her head to hurt. A quiet sob slipped out of the girls' mouth as she tottered towards the kitchen. What she found there was even worse._

 _The dining table was pushed roughly against the far wall, the middle of the kitchen occupied by a man dressed in black who was grappling with the girls' mother._

 _"You'll never get her!" Her mother snarled, wrenching the man's knife out of his hand and tossing it behind her._

 _"We always get what we want!" The man hissed back, his bald head glimmering with a thin layer of precipitation._

 _"Over my dead body!" The girls' mother yelled._

 _"Then I'll just have to take the liberty of it." The man said, baring his teeth in a terrifying smile. He pulled out a small pistol and pointed it at the girls' mother._

 _The dog barked but stayed by the girls' side. The mothers' eyes widened when she saw the girl standing there in the doorway._

 _"What do we have here?" The man said, turning to face the girl and her dog. "My my looks like I won't have to go searching for you." He swung his gun around and aimed it at the girl. "What to do, what to do." He gave a thoughtful look._

 _"Run!" The girls' mother yelled, rushing the man._

 _"Now we can't have that happening, can we?" The man dodged the woman and pinned her to the island._

 _"I'll kill you before you so much as move an inch."_

 _Even if the girl could move, which she couldn't because of fear, she would've stayed to help her mother._

 _"Leave her alone you big bully!" The girl yelled, running forward._

 _A gunshot as loud as thunder, magnified by the small space, ensued. The girl felt the rush of air as the bullet missed her by mere inches. There was a loud yelp from the dog and the girl turned to see what was wrong. The poor animal was on the ground, it's leg bleeding._

 _"You bitch!" The man snarled at the woman, who'd used her last remaining strength to knock the man's aim off course._

 _"You'll never get her." She said, eyes burning with a silver fire._

 _"Not right now, no." The man said smugly. "But I sure as hell can get you."_

 _Before the woman could react, the man pushed the gun against her forehead and shot her at point blank._

 _"Momma!" The girl wailed as the woman's body fell to the floor, lifeless._

 _"You meany!" The girl yelled, running at the man again._

 _"You're no match for me." The man laughed humorlessly. "You're too weak. Such easy prey for me to hunt tonight."_

 _He backhanded the girl, sending her flying into the dining table with a crash. The girl whimpered at the pain, bolts of pain shooting up her arm. Glancing down, the girl stifled a shriek when she saw that it was at an unnatural angle._

 _The dog, limping heavily, made its way over to the girl and placed itself between her and the man, giving a weak growl of warning._

 _The man stopped a few feet away and tilted his head, considering. Analyzing._

 _"Such a fine creature." He said at last. "Such loyalty towards its owner. I suppose I'm no different, a dog at the neck and call of its master." His lip curled. "I hate it."_

 _The girl grabbed the dog as it fell, it too was dead. She started to cry then, realizing that now no one was in between her and her attacker. Her fingers dug into the dog's rough fur as she trembled._

 _The man walked over to where the knife had landed and picked it up. Running a finger over it carefully he advanced towards the girl._

 _"This is much better." He said. "I've always loved to closeness only a knife could give."_

 _He crouched down next to the girl who leaned away._

 _"No need to be like that." The man chuckled. "I may not be able to kill you, but that doesn't mean I can't have some fun now."_

 _He roughly grabbed the girl broken arm and she cried out in pain. He ran the tip of the knife down the pale inside of her arm._

 _"It'd be cruel to do any more damage to your poor arm." The man said. "Unfortunately for you, I'm not a very sympathetic person."_

 _He drove the knife in deep and dragged it down the girl's arm._

 _"Scream for me." He cooed. "Let me hear your pain."_

 _Unable not to, the girl obliged, tears running down her face._

 _She screamed and screamed until she couldn't anymore._


	25. 【25】

**Ridley's P.O.V.**

I bolted upright out of bed, vile rising so fast in my throat that I couldn't prevent myself from vomiting. I coughed, the acid burning my throat raw. What the hell was that? It seemed too real to be just a simple dream... Clenching my fists on my blanket I stared at the mess I'd made.

Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I wrinkled my nose at the feel of bile on my cold, clammy hand. I was sweating; covered it, like a warm stifling blanket. The remains of my dinner seeped through my covers and soaked into my pajamas making me shudder.

Another wave of nausea cascaded through me and I flung my ruined covers off and stumbled to the bathroom, barely making it in time for me to stick my head in the toilet. My hands trembled as I gripped the toilet bowl, the cool porcelain giving me a sort of anchor. The memories of my dream had already begun to fade from my mind, like the others, leaving only the feeling behind.

Hearing the telltale sound of my bedroom door opening, I turned my head just enough to see through the bathroom door to see who it was: Edward. His brown hair was slightly mussed and he wasn't wearing his glasses.

Entering the bathroom he gently kneeled down next to me and asked, "Bad dream?"

I retched into the toilet again before giving a slight nod. Damn, I shouldn't have eaten so quickly.

"Do they happen often?" Edward asked, his voice filled with concern.

I flashed him an irritated look. Why was he just sitting there talking to me instead of doing something? Turning my attention on to my breathing, I counted my breaths as I inhaled through my nose and exhaled through my mouth. In, two, three, four, out, two, three, four. In through the nose out through the mouth.

Suffering, I gave a final dry heave and slumped to the floor, exhausted. I crawled into the corner and curled up, painfully aware of Edward who was just sitting there uncertainly. Didn't he have any idea as to what to do in these types of situations? Did I even know?

"Do you want to tell me..?" Edward asked and I shook my head.

 _Can't... remember... only... feeling..._ I signed slowly, hands still shaking. I looked at him helplessly. What could I do? What could he do? Nothing would make me feel better right now.

 _I'm... afraid_. I admitted. _Don't know what to do._

"I can't help you unless I know what's wrong!" Edward said exasperatedly. "I want to help, I really do, but how?" He pleaded looking at me with wide eyes.

Was this some other sort of bizarre dream? Edward was pleading and saying that he wanted to help? I gave him a bewildered look.

"You helped me," Edward said, "let me return the favor."

So that's what it was. He didn't want to be in debt to me. _Stay_. I finally signed. _Stay with me._

"Always," Edward promised.

He words jarred my memory and an image of the grey-eyed woman flashed through my mind. I lurched forward, making a choking sound, afraid that I'd throw up again.

"Ridley," Edward muttered, rushing to my side. "It's ok. Everything is going to be ok."

He pulled me close to him and rubbed my back. Letting out a sniffle, I hugged him back, being mindful of his side.

"I'll protect you." Edward continued. "I'll always be here."

Something cracked inside of me at his words. A sense of déjà vu that I didn't understand washed over me, breaking the dam that held my emotions in check. I buried my head in the crook of Edwards' neck and broke into tears.

Edward let out a sigh and pulled me into his lap, and I felt him wince as he twisted to do so. I only hoped that he didn't break his stitches again. He rocked back and forth, stroking my hair and whispering things to softly for me to hear as I sobbed into his shoulder.

My eyes flickered and I fought myself for consciousness. There was no way I was going back to the hell of my dreams. I forced my eyes open and focused on a spot on the wall. Focusing my mind like this didn't exactly help, and I faintly heard what Edward was saying before I gave in and closed my eyes.

 _It's not what it_ seems in the _land of dreams,_

 _don't worry your head,_ _just go to sleep._

 _It doesn't matter how you feel,_  
 _life is just a Ferris wheel._  
 _It's always up and down,_  
 _don't make a sound._

 _When you wake up_  
 _the world will come around._


	26. 【26】

**A/N: New posting schedule because I'm almost completely finished with this story! I will now be posting two chapters a week, Wednesday and Friday. This story is actually around 53 chapters so I'm a little less than halfway through posting it on here! Thanks to everyone that has been reading it so far. What do you guys think? Feedback is always helpful. :)**

* * *

 **Edward's P.O.V.**

I glanced down at Ridley when I sensed her drift off to sleep. I had a feeling that she'd been having nightmares, but I didn't know how bad they were until now. I'd been extremely lucky to be up at this time, I normally would've been asleep, unaware of what perils Ridley was going through.

I couldn't sleep, no thanks to the stitches in my side. Sleeping on my left side had become a habit and with the stitches making it wholly uncomfortable, it was impossible for me to fall asleep. I'd gotten up to do some work cursing Jon even though I knew that it technically wasn't his fault. Didn't understand why I had taken such a dumb risk, I was Edward Nygma, The Riddler, and The Riddler didn't make dumb mistakes. Working on pure instinct, however, made me act in an unorthodox way that I was still trying to figure out.

I was working on the logistics for our next mission, trying to figure out how to incorporate Ridley into the mix. There were just too many variables and I needed to consider them all. There was no room for error, I would _not_ allow the same thing to happen again. While I was doing this, my eye had strayed to the monitor that I kept solely to keep an eye on Ridley when she was in her room. Call me a creep or voyeur, but I really only used it to make sure no one like Nightwing came calling. We had a close call that one time, and I didn't want to repeat it.

This time, however, instead of some vigilante, I saw Ridley throw up on her bed before rushing off to her bathroom. I was halfway out of my seat and making my way to the door before I realized what I was doing.

 _I'm only doing this for Anna_. I told myself. _I made a promise and I will stick to it. Whatever it takes_. Love made you stupid, but it also made you stronger. It all depended on how you did with it. Now, sitting on the bathroom floor with Ridley clinging to me in her sleep like a child, I knew that more than ever.

Wincing as I felt the strain of the stitches, I got to my feet, cradling Ridley in my arms. Her bed was completely ruined at the moment thanks to the vomit, it wouldn't take much to clean it up, or at least get some clean sheets. A part of me wondered why I was even doing this, but I brushed it away, deciding to bring her to my room for the rest of the night. She's most likely claw my eyes out later, but it was my only option.

Walking out of the bathroom I grimaced at the putrid smell already accumulating. In the morning, I would clean it up. Jon would yell at me when he found out like he does every other time. I gripped Ridley tighter when I thought of him. This was his fault. I was certain of it.

Thanks to getting my hands on all of her medical files (I had good contacts, under a different name of course), I knew for a fact that she didn't suffer from any nightmares when she was with Bruce Wayne. That meant that the nightmares started _after_ she came into our custody. And only one thing made sense of that: Jons' Fear Toxin.

Normally the effects of the Toxin wore off after a few hours, but that was with normal people. Ridley wasn't normal, and I didn't mean that in a bad way. Because she couldn't remember anything from before she was six, I was certain that her nightmares weren't actually nightmares, but rather suppressed memories. I shuddered when I thought about what Jon might do when he found out about it. I couldn't tell him.

Passing by her desk, my eye caught on an open page of Ridley's notebook. Taking a closer look I saw that several random notes were scrawled on it. My eye had caught on the words 'Jon' and 'Tsundere'. I furrowed my brow in concentration. Didn't Ridley unknowingly sign that word to me? She said that it didn't mean anything but I had my doubts. Why was it written along with Jon's name? And circled for heaven's sake?

A smaller pair of notes in the margins read: 'Jon's more Tsuntsun than Deredere', and 'Jerk with a heart of gold?'. Jon was most certainly a jerk, I don't know about the 'heart of gold' part though. I made a mental note to look up the term Tsundere later and exited Ridley's room.

Opening my door with a foot, I entered and walked over to my couch where she'd tended to my wound several hours before. I leaned down with some difficulty and set Ridley down, trying to detangle her from me. It was no use, she just subconsciously continued to cling to me and didn't let go.

I looked at her again, and sighed, "You really are a piece of work, you know?"

She grunted and buried her face deeper into my shoulder. My heart stirred with a sense of affection for the poor girl and I stood back up before walking over to my bed.

I carefully laid her down and stretched, back aching from holding her for so long. She didn't weigh much, probably only 95 pounds or so, much to light from someone of her age. I'd need to make sure she ate more. Argh! Here I was, acting worse than Selina with her 'mother cat' attitude. I scowled.

What Ridley did and didn't eat was none of my concern. She was only here in this room with me because hers was otherwise occupied by the mess she'd made; not that it wasn't her fault.

I tucked her in before making my way over to the other side of the bed and getting in myself, leaving plenty of room between us. I didn't want to intrude on her space any more than I already had. I glanced over at her realizing how peaceful she looked when she slept. No sign of bad dreams from what I could tell which was good.

The urge to move closer to her overcame me, but I managed to suppress it. I didn't want to scare her when she woke up, though I probably would regardless. Before I could make a decision, Ridley made it for me. She snuggled up close to me with a content sigh. Laying on my back staring at the ceiling, I wondered what type of trouble is get into this time.


	27. 【27】

**Ridley's P.O.V.**

I woke up the next morning having no clue as to where I was. Sitting up I blinked as my surroundings came into focus. I was in Edwards room, even worse, I was in his bed of all places. Why was I...? Everything that had happened last night flooded my mind. The nightmare I had that I know couldn't remember no matter how hard I tried to, my vomiting spree, Edward coming in to make sure I was ok...

Glancing around the room I didn't see Edward anywhere, thank god. His side of the bed was still warm though so he must've only gotten up a few moments ago. Taking the time to calm myself from this new realization, I studied the room more closely than I had the previous time I'd been here.

The computer monitors that is seen earlier varied greatly with what their contents showed, from the streets of downtown Gotham to the area around the warehouse. The walls changed between brick and cream colored with a few large windows up on the second story. Why was his room so big? Compared to mine it was massive.

Turning my head to the sound of the bathroom door opening, I saw Edward step out.

"Oh, you're awake Ridley." He said, shaking his wet hair. He must've been taking a shower. "How are you feeling?"

 _Fine_. I signed. _Tired though._

"Understandable," Edward said with a nod, "you had a rather rough night."

I pulled a face and Edward sat down next to me on the edge of the bed.

"I hope you don't mind that I brought you in here." He said. "You kind of threw up all over your bed."

 _Then I'll have to clean that up later_. I signed, not looking forward to the idea.

"I got it all cleaned up," Edward said, waving a hand in dismissal. "Don't worry about it."

 _What time is it?_

"11:25." Edward told me, checking his watch. "It's rather late. I was going to wake up after I took a shower but you're up now so it doesn't matter."

 _What have you been doing whatever time you woke up?_

"I got up at 8," Edward informed me. "I was working on stuff the whole time."

 _Do the others know about me being in your room?_

"No, and I'd like to keep it that way. Not that anything bad has happened, I just dot want unnecessary questions."

I blushed a bit when he said that. I sure hope no one got the wrong idea...

Edward opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by his bedroom door slamming open.

"Edward!" Jon bellowed storming in. "What did you do with my-" He paused and blinked, trying to register what he was seeing.

"What do you want Jon?" Edward said getting up and placing himself between Jon and I as if to hide me from him.

It was too late though, Jon had already seen me and his eyes bored into mine. I could practically _see_ his mind jumping to conclusions.

"Never mind." He hissed whirling around. "I'll just go ask Selina."

"It's not what it looks like!" Edward said. "She just had a really bad nightmare or something!"

"Or something," Jon muttered walking out the door.

"Hey wait!" Edward called hurrying after him. I, not wanting to miss this one, lept out of the bed and followed behind.

"Why are you such a jerk, Jon?" Edward asked catching him by the stairs.

"Why are you so annoying?" Jon countered, continuing down the stairs and into the living room.

I smirked as I watched them glare at each other. An idea popped into my head and deciding to have a little fun, I tapped Jon on the shoulder before signing something at him.

"Edward," Jon complained. "I can't understand what Ridley is saying with all the hand waving."

"If you learned sign language then you'd be able to understand her." Edward pointed out. "But you refused to let me teach you."

"Yeah because I didn't want to!" Jon fired back. "Just tell me what she said!"

"Fine." Edward sighed. "What did you say, Ridley?"

I signed what I had said again and Edward choked.

"What!?" He said, voice cracking. His face turning a brilliant shade of red. "Ridley!"

"What did she say!?" Jon yelled.

"S-she asked if height corresponded with how much of a dick you could be," Edward said with a swallow. "Cause you are tall and a complete asshole."

 _No no no!_ I signed, stomping my foot. _I asked if height corresponded with the_ size _of his dick, not how he acted like one. What if it's like the Golden Ratio? You know, when different parts of your body are proportionate to-_

"I know what the Golden Ratio is!" Edward yelled shrilly. "You don't need to go explain it to me! Especially not in that way!"

 _But haven't you ever wondered?_ I signed. _Jon could be your perfect test subject on the matter._

"NO!"

"I'm fucking confused right now," Jon stated.

 _You can't fuck confusion_. I signed at him. _It's not a physical thing. People on the other hand..._ I signed something incredibly inappropriate.

"Ridley! If you sign something like that one more time I'm tying your hands!" Edward said, face flushed with color.

 _Kinky_. I signed with a smirk before dodging him as he tried to grab me.

"Do you know how hard it is to understand things when you only hear one part of the conversation?" He demanded, turning to Edward who was currently chasing me around the room.

"Gotcha!" Edward yelled lunging at me.

No, ya don't. I ducked under his arm and ran to the door, crashing into Selina who was walking in.

"Woah!" Selina said catching me as I wrapped my arms around her waist. "What's going on here?"

"I have no idea," Jon said,"ask those two." He pointed to Edward and I, the former sprawled out on the floor.

"Are you arguing with each other again?" Selina sighed.

"Ridley started it!" Edward said, scrambling to his feet. "She was being highly inappropriate!"

"Were you now..." Selina looked at me and smirked. "I don't see how that's a problem." She said to Edward. "You can be highly inappropriate at times as well. You act like a child and Jon is no exception."

Jon made an indignant sound at her words.

"Come on Ridley," Selina said, removing my arms from around her waist and guiding me away. "Being around those two isn't doing you any good. I'm going to make myself a snack. Care to join me?"

I nodded and followed her, only after I'd signed something to the guys.

 _Y'all should have a 'snack' too._


	28. 【28】

**Jon's P.O.V.**

Edward sputtered at whatever Ridley had said before she'd left with Selina. I hated not knowing what was being said, but I wasn't about to let my pride drop just so I could learn, from _Edward_ no less. It was better to just make him tell me.

"What did Ridley say?" I demanded, turning to Edward who was still just standing there with a weird look on his face.

"You really don't want to know," Edward said, shaking his head. "Even I want to unknow it."

"You don't want to know something?" I asked, astonished. Never before had I heard Edward say that he didn't want to know something.

"It's bad Jon," Edward said, "you don't want to know. Trust me."

"It was about me though," I argued, "so I have a right to know."

"And I'm telling you that you don't want to!"

"Why did you go from talking about how much of an ass I could be to the Golden Ratio?" I scowled. "Those are two different things!"

 _'Maybe it was a cover-up_. _'_ Scarecrow hissed. _'What if she knows? What if she told him and they're both now covering it up? You need to know!'_

 _'You're right.'_ I replied silently. _'I do need to know. And now.'_

"Tell me goddamnit!" I snarled. I felt my control slip, but for once I was content with my other half taking the lead with this one. He was most effective in these situations.

 _'Don't you know it.'_ Scarecrow cackled.

"Jon," Edward said, sounding a bit desperate. "I know you're there. Please, don't-"

"Shut up and tell me already!" I yelled. Grabbing him, I shoved him into the back of the couch and pinned his arms to his sides.

"You will tell me," I said dangerously, leaning over him. "What she said."

 _'Don't hurt him.'_

 _'No promises.'_

I looked down at the man I held pinned and my lip curled. I leaned closer, forcing him to lean back as far as he could over the back of the couch. Our faces were inches apart, and I could feel his heart beating erratically. Whether from fear or something else I had no idea, though if I'd had to guess, I'd say fear.

 _'Though you secretly wish it was something else, don't you?'_ Scarecrow said.

I gave a growl of warning.

"I'm not telling," Edward said stubbornly.

"Edward!" I grabbed his chin between my thumb and forefinger, forcing him to meet my eyes. "What. Did. She. Say. Tell me!"

Edward gave me a dejected look before breaking eye contact, "Fine."

' _Look at how submissive he is to you_. _'_ Scarecrow purred. _'You could easily take him now with little to no effort.'_

I released Edwards' face and placed my hand on the back of the couch.

"What did she tell you?" I asked, feeling myself slip back into control, or more like Scarecrow _gave_ me back control.

Edward swallowed. "She was just wondering if your attitude was proportionate to how tall you were."

I searched his face and he gave me a nervous look, "You're lying."

"Why do you need to know what she said so badly?" Edward asked. "She doesn't know anything about Anna or about the _other_ things. I know that for sure."

"You wouldn't get it," I said with a frown.

 _'More like you don't want him to know.'_ Scarecrow snorted. He was getting irritated by all of this, I could tell. _'You're so close and he's so easy. Are you a coward now?'_

 _'No.'_

 _'Then do something.'_

 _'I can't.'_

 _'Can't or won't? Just imagine him in your arms.'_ Scarecrow said. _'Being with you, loving you, you f-'_

 _'Shut up!'_ My face flared and retracted myself from Edwards personal space as if I'd gotten stung. I shuffled backward until there were several feet of space between us.

 _'What's wrong Jonny?'_ Scarecrow said. _'You don't like hearing the truth? Don't pretend that you don't think of it every now and then.'_

"Jon?" Edwards' voice jerked me out of my conscious. He stood up and gave me a concerned look.

"What?" I said a bit harsher than necessary.

Edward flinched at my tone. "I was wondering if you're ok. You've been acting differently ever since..." He trailed off.

"I'm fine." I scowled. "Leave me alone."

"But Jon-"

"Leave!"

Edward muttered something before walking out the door.

I sat down heavily in a nearby chair and rubbed my face. I need to get this under control, as soon. I couldn't go on for much longer.

 _'Why not give in?'_ Scarecrow asked. _'It'd be so much more satisfying; for everyone involved.'_

"I _can't_ ," I growled. "Not when he's all star eyed over _her_."

 _'Get rid of her then.'_ Scarecrow suggested.

"And have Edward mad at me? We've been over this before. It's impossible."

 _'Nothing's impossible.'_ Scarecrow said. _'Just hard to do. Also,'_ he added, ' _I'm surprised Eddie didn't notice.'_

"Notice what?" I asked confused.

Scarecrow chuckled, _'You got a bit_ excited _there. I'm shocked he didn't notice, considering how close you two were.'_

I immediately crossed my legs and cursed. Edward was so perceptive that it would've been nearly impossible for him _not_ to notice.

 _'Awwww, looks like Jonny-Boy's having a bit of a dilemma.'_ Scarecrow cooed. _'Whatcha gonna do about it?'_

"Shut up." I growled. I had to just deal with it. That damned sexual tension that'd been building up in me since I realized I had competition. I did, didn't I? Ridley was competing with me for Edwards devotion. And because of that damned Anna, Ridley was already leagues ahead of me. Ridiculous of me to think of it that way, but wasn't it the truth?

 _'I suggest that you get rid of the girl and take Edward for yourself.'_ Scarecrow said. _'Nothing's stopping you. You've done something like that before.'_

"Not yet." I relented. "I need time."

 _'How much time are you going to give?'_ Scarecrow demanded. _'It could be too late.'_

"It's never too late," I said softly. "Never."


	29. 【29】

**A/N: Hello readers! I wanted to give an update and say that once again, if completed this story! I have not published the remaining chapters here on , but I do have a poll regarding this on my profile. Please go vote for what you want me to do! It'll help tremendously.**

 **Hope you enjoy the story so far, and please, don't forget to comment or give a review of what you think!**

* * *

 **Edwards P.O.V.**

I stood just out of view of the living room greatly perturbed by what had just transpired. I'd had a feeling that Scarecrow was back ever since the argument we had a few days ago, but now I was completely certain. Hearing him talk to himself was the icing on the cake. I walked down the hall pausing to check on Selina and Ridley in the kitchen.

Both were seated at the kitchen table eating sandwiches. Ridley was picking at her sandwich while Selina devoured hers. Ridley looked up when she noticed me and gave a lopsided grin before raising an eyebrow.

I blinked before shaking my head and backing away. I didn't need any more of _that_ thank you very much. I'd thought that Ridley was a very nice well put together girl, but I realized that she was far from it.

Why had she so violently teased me and why did it get under my skin? My ears reddened as I went through what she'd told me.

 _Jon could be your perfect test subject on the matter._ As if _I_ were the one that conducted experiments on people.

Why had she chosen then to tease me? And why did Jon get so worked up about it? He wouldn't have gotten so worked up about it if he wasn't hiding something. He must've thought that Ridley knew something and he didn't want me to know it. The question remained: What was Jon hiding and what did Ridley know?

I needed to find out the answer, I could not sit back and let this one little thing past me by. I was the Riddler and I was the smartest being on the planet. I knew everything, but this time, apparently I did not. I'd have to remedy that and find out the truth.

Making my way up to my room, I pondered what Jon was hiding. Definitely something big since Scarecrow came back, he wasn't trying to poison Gotham's water supply again, was he? I had told him that it wouldn't have worked, but like most of the time, he didn't listen.

Sitting down in front of the many computers I had, I racked my brain and tried to remember if I told not to do something recently. I came up with nothing. It's like he did those things just to spite me. He was so reckless and impulsive that it was annoying, if not a bit admirable. Impulsiveness wasn't something I could do because my very nature went against it. Even when I'd taken the hit from the Batarang for Jon, I'd quickly weighted the options and knew that keeping Jon out of Arkham was in the best interest of the rest of us.

Even though he'd yelled at me afterward, Jon still insisted on patching me up; albeit yelling at me the whole entire time. I ghosted my hand across my side, thinking about it. I'd never allowed anyone to call me stupid before, it was an insult to my amazing intellect, and yet Jon had called me that no less than 20 times when he'd yelled at me, and I had let him. If that didn't confuse me I didn't know what would.

Then again, I'd always let Jon get away with more than I did most people. It was our friendship, something that was unique in our world. Friendships were seen as a weakness, for Batman could use it against us. It had always been an 'I'll support you but the minute you get into trouble your on your own' type thing, which tended to leave one lonely. You knew you never had a true friend, just someone who could potentially stab you in the back later. I knew that from personal experience.

Shaking my head I focused on the computer, imputing my password ( _The dark Religions are departed et sweet Science reigns_. All lowercase, no spaces), and started to work.

Planning out the next mission was more complicated as I had to incorporate Ridley into the mix. I wanted it to be grand enough for her debut, but also within her comfort range. I knew she didn't like the idea of any sort of robbery, but what was a good mission without one? Another issue I ran into was that I wouldn't be able to be there due to my stitches. This was a personal decision, one that I did not take lightly. No being able to be there to watch out for her was frustrating to think about, but I'd be more helpful if I didn't have to worry about my injuries.

I knew Selina would watch out for her, she'd already begun to take Ridley under her wing (or was it her paw?). The main issue was that I wouldn't be able to control the situation if things got bad, meaning if Jon decided to do something stupid, again.

I thought about Jons outburst and how he'd demanded me to tell him what Ridley had told me. He was conflicted more than usual, and it wasn't just because of Scarecrow. It was something else entirely, but what?

I tried to focus on a camera that overlooked the inside of the G.C.P.D. (it'd been hell trying to get the thing in there), but found that I couldn't. Not even Bullock and Gordon arguing was enough to distract me.

"ARGH!" I slammed my fist against the table, causing some papers to flutter to the ground. Leaning down carefully to pick them up, I noticed the notes that I had written about what I'd found in Ridley's notebook. Right. If I couldn't focus on my work, then I might as well do something else that was productive.

Navigating to the search engine, I typed in the term 'Tsundere' and waited for the results to come in; it didn't take long.

 _Tsundere_ , I read, _(pronounced [ts_ _ɯ_ _nde_ _ɾ_ _e]) is a Japanese term for a character development process that describes a person who is initially cold and even hostile towards another person before gradually showing a warmer side over time._

That described Jon fairly well, save for the 'showing a warmer side over time' bit. Why did Ridley write about this?

Clicking on a reliable looking website (I hated Wikipedia and whenever I did go on it I found myself there for hours correcting the idiotic mistakes people made), I continued reading. The more I read, the more troubled I became. The site said that the term Tsundere was derived from two other foreign terms, them being 'Tsuntsun' and 'Deredere', just like what Ridley had written down. Tsuntsun was described as meaning aloof and irritable while Deredere was described as meaning love struck.

The site described a Tsundere and being someone who acted like a "hotheaded, lovestruck kindergartener who pushes you into the sandbox."

My lips quirked up into a smile when I read that. Jon definitely qualified as "hotheaded", love-struck, however... That made me pause. Scanning the rest of the article, I came across the other term that Ridley had used: Jerk with a Heart of Gold.

 _The moods of a Tsundere tend to switch in reaction to the actions of select people or adverse scenarios, while the Deredere side usually only comes out when someone has acted in a way to trigger it._

 _A Jerk with a Heart of Gold is a jerk regardless of whether the other person is mean or nice. They only show their Hidden Heart of Gold when the situation warrants, regardless of how the other person had been acting._

I stared at my screen for a few moments. Everything that was being said revealed itself in Jon's attitude with perfect precision. I'd witnessed everything that was being described save for the 'Deredre' part. I'd only been subjected to 'Jerk' part of his personality and even though Jon was a jerk to everyone, he seemed particularly insistent on making my life difficult. But then he always tried to do something nice to make up for his jerkishness, even though it usually led to worse things. At least he tried.

I tried to think of anyone else that Jon acted this way towards but I realized the only person he acted that way towards was... Me. No one else was the subject of his anger on a day to day basis. And the thing that got me wasn't what he did to me, but rather what he _didn't_. Almost all the Rouges had been under the influence of his Fear Toxin, but not me. Every time I suggested to help him with a new formula or whatever, he'd turned me down; after yelling at me.

Yes, Jons attitude towards me particularly was interesting, to say the least, and I finally acknowledged the question that's been in my mind: Did the fearsome Dr. Crane have feelings for me? Little Edward Nygma? I knew that I was correct in my thinking, all the fact pointed towards it.

My mind reeled with this new information, and for once in my life, I couldn't think properly. For the first time, I had doubts about everything and I had no clue as to how I should proceed. I always had a plan, for everything. But how can you have a plan for something like this? Did I feel the same for Jon? I didn't know, though I did know that I felt _something_. I just wasn't sure what.

I needed to think about it. I decided. To think of the best course of action and go from there. I could be more understanding of Jons attitude and moods now, which I suppose was a plus, but it just made me more confused and the situation all the more complicated. I needed to act like nothing had happened. Like I had no clue that my best friend liked me.

Thoughts crowded my mind and I did my best to push them away. I didn't need to go over them now. Later; it could wait until later. Right now I just needed to do something to distract myself from this. Maybe I'd set a task for Query and Echo, I hadn't done that in a long time. Something small, maybe a few clues as to what our next mission would be. Yes, that'd work out perfectly.

I fired up my computer again, which had fallen asleep and got to work.

Things could wait until later.


	30. 【30】

**Ridley's P.O.V.**

I wiped my brow and tottered up the stairs, exhausted from Selina's training. As soon as we'd finished our sandwiches, she'd dragged me down to the basement. Since her weapon of choice was also a whip, she decided to teach me what she knew.

I had to admit that it was beneficial. Richard and Bruce didn't know how to use such a weapon and thus I couldn't learn as much as I could've.

The rapier was also a lot less bulky and lighter than my previous weapon. The elegant blade reacted quicker than the other weapon which was both a blessing and a curse.

The good thing was that it was fast. I could strike quickly and efficiently without any problems. The bad thing was the exact same thing however, I tended to do more damage than necessary. I had to use just the right amount of force while using the rapier in whip mode to deal enough damage, but not so much that I completely annihilated my target.

My weapon could do a great deal of damage to a human being if the settings were on max. I shuddered at the thought of that.

Pausing outside Edward's door, I wondered why he was shut up in there for the past 4 hours. I remember Selina saying that he'd work for at least 5 hours or more straight. How could they just let him do that? It wasn't healthy. There was a difference between doing work and being a hermit and Edward bordered on being the latter.

I knocked on the door before letting myself in.

Edward tensed and whirled around in his chair before visibly relaxing when he saw me. "Oh, it's just you Ridley. What can I do for you?"

I was wondering what you were doing. I signed. You've been cooped up in here for hours, it's no healthy.

"I've just been... working," Edward replied, nervously tapping his fingers on his leg. "Did anyone sent you up to check on me?"

 _No,_ I signed. w _ere you expecting someone to?_

I wondered what had gotten Edward so worked up. He seemed on high alert. Did he expect something to happen?

"Um no," Edward said, clearing his throat. "The others just usually leave me be when I'm working."

Then they're not really good friends, are they? Being stuck in front of a computer for an extended period of time isn't healthy. You should take breaks every hour. What are you working on anyway?

"Just stuff for our next mission," Edward said, "not that big of a deal."

 _You're not planning on going, are you?_ I asked. _You know that your-_

"I know," Edward said, irritability waving a hand. He turned back to his computer, "I'm trying to rearrange stuff to make up for it. How'd you feel about going in my stead?" He glanced back at me, waiting for my answer.

 _Me?_ I asked, taken by surprise. _I-I don't know. Do I have to?_ It's not like I necessarily didn't want to, I always had wanted to go on some sort of mission. That was with Bruce and Richard however, when I would've been on the good side of things; fighting crime instead of causing it.

"You'll have to eventually," Edward replied. "You'll be a sitting duck if you stay here the whole time. I also don't think that you particularly like being stuck here unable to do anything."

 _That's true,_ I conceded, _but do I really have to?_

"We're not going to make you do anything you don't want to," Edward said before pausing. "Besides leaving. You can't do that."

 _Of course_. I frowned. _But will going on 'missions' be any safer?_

"No," Edward admitted, "but at least you're doing something that way."

He shut off his computer and stood up. "We'll need to train you more before you're ready to go out." He said.

 _I just got done training with Selina._ I protested.

"That was physical training," Edward said walking out the door. "You need mental training as well. Brute strength will only get you so far."

I quickly followed him out of his room and down the hall.

"Your problem Ridley," Edward continued, "is that you're more logical than creative. That is why you failed to understand the clues that I left before your kidnapping."

 _Wait, wait, wait_. I signed, jogging to keep up with him. _You left clues?_

"Well yeah," Edward rolled his eyes. "The riddles I left? **'What starts and ends with the letter "E" but only has one letter in it?'** , **'I never was, am always to be. No one ever saw me, nor ever will, and yet I am the confidence of all to live and breathe on this terrestrial ball'**? Both riddles you failed to answer."

 _And how'd you know that?_

"Simple," Edward replied, "we were able to kidnap you. For someone really smart, you're fairly obtuse."

I scowled but didn't try to correct him. Disregarding the riddles had been my first mistake. Whether it be a fatal one, I had to wait and see.

 _Ok, so then how do you know that I'm more logical than creative?_ I asked as we began to descend into the basement.

"Your test," Edward said, like that explained everything. "I was curious to see what your thinking process was, and going off of your inability to answer the riddles, I asked you only logistic questions."

 _So... it was a test within a test?_

"Exactly!" Edward said cheerfully. "You got every question correct using logic and reasoning. Save for the bonus question, which you got wrong because it was a riddle."

 _Wait. You said I got every question correct, didn't you?_

"I did," Edward said. "Obviously the bonus question wasn't an actual question. It didn't count against you if you got it wrong, so you still got 100%."

 _But don't riddles use logic and reasoning as well?_

We passed by the training room that I'd been in earlier with Selina and continued down the hall.

"Most," Edward agreed, "but not all. It's a bit contradictory, but you get a general idea. Yes, riddles use logic and reasoning, but only so much. Most of it relies on your ability to think outside the box. Which will be your fatal flaw when out on missions. You often won't have time to think out a logical solution to a problem. We'll be working on your reaction time and capability to come up with creative solutions." He paused outside of a nondescript door and fished around in his pockets before producing a key.

"Hopefully with some work you'll be able to get better."

 _Like you?_ I asked sarcastically, though it was hard to catch the sarcasm through sign language.

"You won't be as good," Edward said. "I, after all, am the Riddler. The smartest being on the planet." He unlocked the door.

 _You're awfully full of yourself_ , I signed, _and you're not perfect no matter how much you wish to be; it's impossible._

What Edward said next was so quiet I almost didn't catch it as he walked into the room.

"You're right, I'm not."


	31. 【31】

Walking into the room behind Edward, I was surprised to see how small it was. A single chair what bolted to the floor in the center of the room with a headset resting on the seat. I was a bit wary of the headset, I'd heard stories of the ones that Edward would use that had dynamite strapped to them. This looked like a regular gaming headset, but that didn't do much to make me feel better.

A large rectangular machine took up the far corner of the room, with another chair situation in front of it. A large black screen was facing the chair, taking up most of the surface area with a few buttons and levers attached.

 _I thought we'd be training_ , I signed. _This looks like a torture chamber._

"We are trading you," Edward said, walking over and picking up the headset. "No torture, I promise. We're going to be using VR."

I stared at him in surprise. What now?

"VR," Edward said, "you know-"

 _I know what Virtual Reality is!_ I sign, _I'm just surprised, ok?_

"I borrowed and modified the technology from Jervis," Edward said pointedly, "you know, Mad Hatter."

I gave Edward an irritated look and crossed my arms. Just because I apparently lacked an imagination didn't mean I wasn't intelligent. There were several different types of intelligence, and none were necessarily the same.

"It's actually rather ingenious," Edward continued, oblivious to my irritation as he turned the headset around in his hands, "figuring out a way to directly transmit someone's brain waves into images. Not that I can understand why Jervis likes putting people into their "Wonderland" as he puts it, but the tech is definitely there."

He motioned me to come over to him, and I did so, still a bit nervous. I'd never tried Virtual Reality before, but I had read a few books on the subject. Mostly Sci-Fi dystopian fiction like _Ready Player One_ and _The Eye of Minds_. Obviously, those books were as far from becoming a (current) reality, but with the rate that technology was advancing, it was only a matter of time. A machine that could turn someone's thoughts into images was just proof of that.

"I have to keep this from Jonathan," Edward said as I sit down in the chair. My attention latches onto his words; Jonathan, not Jon. Interesting. I briefly wonder if I went too far with my teasing.

"... him finding out and using it to see what his Fear Toxin-induced victims see." Edward was saying. "He'd most certainly get some sort of sick pleasure out of it."

I nodded absentmindedly, still wondering if I'd somehow screwed up their friendship.

Edward snapped his fingers in front of my face and I jumped, "Are you listening to me?"

 _No, not really._

Edward let out a huff, "At least try to pay attention ok?"

 _Well, you're in a piss poor mood now_ , I signed, getting fed up with his attitude.

"Do you want to do this or not?"

 _Not particularly._

"Just do as I say." Edward scowled, tossing the headset at me.

I caught it and wondered if it'd be worth it to throw it at his head before deciding against it. It wouldn't do me any good and probably would put him in a worse mood than he was already in. Which also didn't make any sense, did he act this way towards everyone that he thought was less intelligent than him? He certainly held himself in high regard.

"The simulation that I'll be putting you through only allows you to make illogical choices," Edward said, walking over to the machine and turning it on. "Of course since we want this to be as realistic as possible, there will be nothing too illogical. No stopping bullets with just your thoughts here.

"Of course if you decided to jump off of a building, that is possible in the simulation because that's possible in real life. I wouldn't recommend it though. Keep that in mind, logical becomes illogical and illogical becomes logical. Your actions are only limited by your logical imagination as well, so just imagine what you want to do, it and don't, you know, actually do it."

 _Yata, yata, yata, ok whatever. You talk too much._ I put on the headset before he could reply.

It was rather interesting to find out that I actually couldn't really tell that the headset was even there, it was that light. I heard Edward mutter a few things and flip a few switches before the simulation flipped on and I found myself sitting in a sparsely furnished living room.

Glancing around I simply willed myself to stand up and to my surprise, that actually worked. A small part of me was still in the room with Edward, but a major part of my conscience was in the simulation. Now having somewhat of a better grasp, I went around and investigated the room. From where I was standing I could see basically the whole room. One wall was covered with a floor to ceiling bookcase, while a large TV cabinet occupied the opposite one. Brown colored couch was in the middle of the room, while the chair I'd been sitting in was in the corner. Walking over to the door, I tried to open it, only to discover it was locked; go figure.

Turning around I surveyed the room and figured that there must be a key around somewhere. The first thing I should do would be to look at the couch to see if it fell between the couch cushions. Finding nothing, I sit down on the couch and cross my arms. There had to be a logical explanation for this... or not. Edward said there would be no logical answers.

How did you manage something not logical though? Anything, no matter how illogical, becomes logical one it was done. Breaking a window to escape, for example, the logical thing to do would be to walk out the door and not break the window at all. What if the door was locked? Well, then the next logical thing to do would be to look for the key. No key? Then you'd break the window, it only after you went through all the other possibilities.

So what other possibilities were still open for me? I could continue looking for the key in hopes that there would actually be one, but that made me feel self-conscious. Edward was watching me right now and probably would the whole time. I bet he was criticizing me at this very moment. There would be no key, no matter how long I tried to look for it. It'd be too simple to have a key, too logical. Like walking out the door instead of breaking the window.

Wait, breaking a window... There was no window in this room, but there was one thing I needed to break to get out of the room; the door.

Walking back over to the door, I inspected it more closely. Tapping my fingers against the dark wood, I discovered that it seemed a lot thinner than I expected. It didn't make that dull hollow sound that doors usually made. It was more, sharp; crisp.

I wonder it throwing a book would be enough to break it, up quickly dismissed the idea. I was being watched of all things. Throwing a book at the door would be stupid. For whatever reasons, I did not want to look stupid in front of Edward. Why did it suddenly matter to me? It shouldn't have, but it did. It was like when I was back at school; I'd tell myself that I didn't care about what the other kids said, but deep down inside, I did.

Wrestling my insecurities aside, I focused on the task at hand. Since I'd already ruled out book throwing, I had to think of something else. I wasn't strong enough to forcefully push the couch, or move the bookshelf or TV cabinet. Maybe I could push the chair, but what would that accomplish? It'd just block my way even more. Breaking down the door by getting a running head start would probably be my best bet.

Clearing away all the furniture that could take some effort, and I was sweating (even if it was simulated) by the end of it. I was determined to test out my, however, so I dealt with it. I didn't really have a choice in the matter. I was certain that Edward would keep me in the simulation until I accomplished whatever he wanted me to do.

Backing up as far as I could from the door I prepared myself before sprinting towards the door. I had a moment to think, 'This is stupid' before the wood splintered under my weight. I was correct in my theory that the door was thinner than normal, it was just balsa wood painted to look like a regular oak door. I didn't have time to think more about it, shock overcoming me as I found myself falling through empty space.

I frantically tried to get my bearings as the wind whipped past me. The ground was still a long ways off, but hitting it was inevitable. Casting a glance to either side of me, I saw that there were tall buildings on every side. Hoping that there would be anything for me to grab onto, I was severely disappointed; there was nothing within my reach and nothing was even slightly sticking out of the buildings. No ledges or balconies, the builds were made of smooth reflective glass.

Becoming disoriented from both my equilibrium being thrown off and the feel of my stomach rising into my throat were not good feelings, and made it all the more harder to concentrate. What the heck could I possibly do right now? My options were even more limited then they were when I was locked in that room. Time was running out and I most certainly didn't want to end up a pancake on the cement, virtual or otherwise. How the heck could the system be this immersive? At any other time I would be able to appreciate it, but certainly not now.

Getting to that point of where I would do anything just to stay alive and NOT die, I somehow managed to get myself into a position where I crashed through a window of one of the buildings I was falling past. Groaning, I rolled over and tried my best to shake the glass off of me. I felt the blood run down my face and could see cuts on my hands, but they didn't hurt at all; a reminder that I was still inside the simulation. It must've been those types of things that kept people from believing that such a thing was not their actual reality.

Scrambling to my feet, I wiped my hands on my pants leaving streaks of simulated blood on them before I took in my surroundings. I expected to be in some corporate style offices, but instead I was inside a homey living room. It was different than the one that I had been locked in though. For one thing, the layout and style was different. The room was brighter, but not because it had more light, but because it had a more homey feel to it.

"You're finally home!" A woman cried, walking into the living room from what must've been the kitchen. "Don't just stand there in the doorway! Come in and join us for dinner!"

The doorway? I turned around to find that the shattered glass and the window I crashed though was gone. In its place was an elegant looking front door painted white.

Focusing on the woman again I studied her carefully, something felt familiar about her. Shoulder length dirty blonde hair and a small build, nothing that stood out except... her grey eyes. Something in the back of my mind told me those were important, and they definitely did feel familiar, but where did I see them before?

"Come on!" The woman said, grabbing my arm and tugging me along into the kitchen.

 _Woah, woah, woah._ I resisted her. "Who the heck are you?" I said.

 _I said_.

What!? I couldn't hear myself actually talk but my mouth moved and the woman seemed to understand me because she gave me a quizzical look.

"You don't recognize your own mother?" She asked in surprise. "Are you alright?"

My mother, did she say? What was going in? Was this some sort of sick joke or something? It was a definite oddity, that was for sure. Why would this pop up in my simulation? Did Edward know who my mother was, or was this just a test to see my reaction to specific situations?

"Are you alright, dear?"

The woman reached out to feel my forehead an I instinctively batted her hand away.

"Fine. I'm fine."

A hurt look flashed over the woman's features but it quickly disappeared.

"Let's get you into the kitchen." She said tugging on my arm again. "It's not every day that your birthday happens after all."

My birthday? Confused, I allow her to guide me through the door.

"The birthday girl's finally here!" The woman declared a big smile on her face.

I stopped in my tracks, completely surprised by what was in front of me. The kitchen was decked out in pale blue and green streamers and had a few sad looking balloons taped to the wall above the kitchen table surrounding a "Happy Birthday" sign.

"About time!" A man with light brown hair smiled at me. He was wearing a dark purple button up shirt and I had the strangest sense that I knew him from somewhere too.

"Don't just stand there," the woman said, "sit down! I thought that you'd be all excited because Bear's here."

"Don't call me that anymore!" A familiar voice snapped, coming from the seat situated right in front of me.

"I'm not a kid anymore! My name is-"

Before I could hear what was being said next, I found the VR headset being ripped off my head. Blinking in confusion, it took me a minute to register the infuriated face of Edward taking up my line of sight.


	32. 【32】

**Edwards P.O.V.**

The moment that the simulation glitched, I knew something was going on. Ridley had been doing an ok job so far, though she could've done better. I was just about to put her into a simulated version of one of my Challenge Rooms when the system had suddenly changed on me. At that moment I didn't know how or why, but I recognized Mad Hatters Wonderland, or rather, what Ridley was going through in response to it.

To any other person it would've seemed that her desire was to have a normal family, but to me, it was a concept of something that would never come to pass. Her perfect world was one where she could speak and know what her childhood was like. That's what she wanted. I couldn't let her figure that out though. It wasn't because I wanted to protect her from it, but rather as a way from me to have some sense of self-preservation. I could keep things together if I didn't think about it.

Seeing Ridley's Wonderland had admittingly scared me, but what was there to be scared of? It wasn't the simulation itself, more like what might happen because of it. Too many questions that I would not be willing to answer. Or were they the ones that I wouldn't answer period? It was wrong to keep something about her past from her, especially if it was about her parents, but how do I explain that I was good friends with her mother? It was possible that she would blame me for what had happened to her, after all, it kind of was.

Shaking my head violently, I became angry with myself. It didn't do any good to dwell on something that would never happen. I wouldn't say anything and keep Ridley in the dark for as long as I could. Marching over to where Ridley was sitting, I ripped the headset off before it could do any damage. It was risky by itself to take the headset off in the middle of a simulation, but it was necessary. Under any normal circumstances I would have waited until the simulation was over, but I couldn't allow her to learn or figure out anything.

Ridley blinked, trying to get her bearings after I'd ripped the headset off and her lips parted in surprise.

"Get up." I snap, dropping the headset on the ground and hauling her to her feet.

She winced at my harsh tone and stumbled as I pushed her towards the door. Her hands flew wildly as she tried to ask questions and get her thoughts out at the same time. I caught a few words here and there as I continue to get her out of the room.

 _... help... what... Understand?... happening... was that?_

I chose not to make any sense out of it as I tossed her out before slamming the door shut. Letting out a groan, I leaned against the door before sliding to the ground. I was officially losing it. This was worse than my impulses to leave clues at crime scenes, and my stress levels just kept rising. They had been rising since the moment I made the decision to take her back. She was the last thing that was related to what happened all those years ago.

Putting my head in my hands, I let out a forceful breath. What the hell was wrong with me?

 **A/N: Sorry for this one being so short! I hope you enjoyed it though, as well the story as a whole! What do you think of it so far? Leave a comment with your thoughts!**


	33. 【33】

**Jon's P.O.V.**

Unable to concentrate on any of my research, I was currently rereading one of the many books written by Sigmund Freud that I had in my collection. Doing this was like going back to kindergarten to relearn the alphabet for someone like me, that is, a psychologist. It calmed me for whatever reason, and going back to the fundamentals was good for review, even if I didn't need it. It wasn't like I was going to go back to my practice anytime soon. I was a wanted criminal now after all.

The only time I actually used it these days was when I was conducting research or bored enough to psychoanalyze those around me. Ten years of school wasted, just so I could go running around wearing a sack over my head and figuring out how screwed up my fellow Rouges where. It was worth it though, worth the freedom and the ability to conduct my research without anyone questioning me too much.

Letting out a sigh, I set The Ego and the Id down on my side table before unfolding my frame and standing up. While reading was a favorite pastime, it did get dull after a while, especially if the only thing you had to read were old college books. Over the years I'd slowly accumulated more books, but not as many as I wished. My shelves were well stocked though.

I gazed around my room unhappily. Three of the four walls were covered with shelves crammed with books, and I knew that if my room was even the slightest bit bigger, I'd be able to fit more. Unfortunately, most of this level was taken up by Edwards room, which doubled up as his main workspace.

' _It annoys you, how much space he takes up, doesn't it?_ ' Scarecrow hissed in the back of my mind. ' _You can just take some by force; take him too._ ' Scarecrow chuckled at that.

"I could," I spoke aloud, "but we share the space. Plus, he was here first."

' _So?_ ' Scarecrow said. ' _We're here now too, and have been for the past five years!_ '

"Every time I suggest that I move to my own space you shoot me down." I counter.

' _Yes_ ,' Scarecrow agreed, " _do you realize how incompetent Edward is? He'd be lost, with only his impulse to create puzzles to keep him company. Though now I suppose that girl would be more than willing to comply and take care of him._ '

"He does suffer from mild Dependent Personality Disorder," I admit, ignoring my other half's snide remark. "It's not that bad though, he's an Accommodating Dependent. As long as someone is there to order him around and exert dominance over him, he's fine."

' _Keep telling yourself that._ ' Scarecrow said. ' _Do you notice him being accommodating to anyone but you? He's subconsciously attached, he just doesn't realize it._ '

"Now you're just being redundant."

' _My point,_ ' Scarecrow said, sounding frustrated, ' _is that you are the one he's submissive to._ '

"He's _naturally_ submissive," I argue, "that's who he is."

' _I suppose so,_ ' Scarecrow mused, ' _but I don't see Selina trying to exert her dominance over him._ '

I bared my teeth at the mere thought of that. Edward was mine, even if I hadn't made it official yet.

' _You see?_ ' Scarecrow said. ' _You've made your claim, now all that you have to do is take it._ '

"You make me sound like an animal," I said, clenching my fists.

' _Are humans not animals?_ ' Scarecrow replied. ' _Take away some of that intelligence and bump up those primal needs and you have an animal. Speaking of intelligence, you look stupid standing there talking to yourself._ '

"Technically I'm talking to you," I say, wandering over to a bookshelf just so I looked like I was doing something.

' _Are you as incompetent as Edward?_ ' Scarecrow retorted. ' _I'm apart of you. You are essentially talking to yourself._ '

"I am not incompetent." I bristled at the very idea. "I am more than that. I can take care of both of us, he doesn't need anyone but me."

' _Is that why you sabotaged all of his pathetic attempts of being in a relationship?_ ' Scarecrow snickered.

"You're a part of me, you should know."

' _Touché_.'

"But yes," I said, scanning the books on my shelf. "All his attempts, or rather should I say other people's attempts, were rightfully discarded."

' _And what are you going to do about the latest issue?_ ' Scarecrow asked.

"I haven't thought about it yet."

' _I'd do something soon,_ ' Scarecrow said, ' _who knows how much time you have?_ '

"Probably not a lot considering that this all has to do with Anna," I spat.

' _Lucky you don't have to deal with her too, right?_ ' Scarecrow said. " _What piece of work that'd be._ '

"If she weren't dead, I'd probably kill her myself."

' _Mmm, but then Edward wouldn't have liked that, would he?_ '

"No," I said, "he wouldn't."

' _Why don't you just get the person that started this whole thing to finish the job?_ ' Scarecrow suggested.

"You mean Zsasz?" I asked, raising my eyebrow.

' _Duh. I'm sure he's still hung up on not being able to finish the job he was hired to do._ '

"Who was he even hired by?"

' _Who knows?_ ' Scarecrow said. ' _Does it really matter?_ '

"I suppose not," I decided, "but Zsasz hasn't been seen or heard of since then."

' _Contact the last person that he worked with,_ ' Scarecrow suggested, ' _Penguin_.'

"Hmm." I thought about it. "It'd be a good place to start."

' _Why don't you call The Iceberg Lounge and see if he's available?_ '

"I was just thinking that,' I said.

' _That's why I said it._ ' Scarecrow replied.

Ignoring his comment, I walked over to my bedside table and fished out the phone I only used for emergencies. Being a criminal and having a phone was typically dangerous, but as long as I had a good alias and paid the bill on time, the phone company didn't question anything.

Dialing the number for the club, I waited for someone to answer the phone, tapping my foot impatiently.

After a few second someone picked up, "Iceberg Lounge, how may I help you?"

Huh. It didn't sound like any of Penguins henchgirls, someone new perhaps? The voice was distinctly male, and by the sound of it, pretty young too.

"Hello?" The guy asked. "Is anyone there?"

"Yes," I said, clearing my throat and shifting the phone. "Is the bird clear to fly?"

Speaking in such codes was something specific for the Underground when they needed a meeting with Penguin, and it changed from time to time. I only hoped that one, Penguin hadn't changed it in four years, and two, the new guy knew about the codes. There was a second of silence, and I held my breath.

"The bird is ready and prepared for flight," came the response.

Better than, "The bird is grounded". I let out an audible sigh of relief. This whole plan banked on whether or not Penguin was available to speak with me.

"What's your business with the boss?" The guy asked.

"Confidential," I replied automatically, "don't you know all these types of calls are?"

"Uh, um, I'm new." The guy said uncertainty.

"Clearly," I said, voice clipped. "What's your name?"

"Maxwell, sir."

At least the guy had manners, couldn't say that much about other people.

"Well, Maxwell," I said, rocking back on my heels, "is Penguin available for a meeting today?"

"I wouldn't have answered your question if he wasn't."

I took back my remark about him being respectful.

"Is he available anytime soon?"

"How soon are we talking about?" Maxwell's voice sounded muffled through the phone like he was doing something at the same time.

I clenched my teeth and bit back a rude reply, "As soon as possible."

"There's an opening in twenty minutes," Maxwell said.

"Perfect." I switched the phone to my other ear.

"May I get a name?" Maxwell said in a slightly bored voice.

"Tell Penguin that the Scarecrow is dropping in for a visit."

"Y-yes sir."

I smirked as I heard the fear in his voice. Oh, it'd be fun to meet this guy in person. Maybe Penguin would let me experiment on him once I told him how bad his new employee acted. That thought cheered me up and I smiled as I hung up the phone.

Replacing it back in the drawer I took it out of, I quickly got changed into something more presentable than what I was currently wearing, a loose button up shirt and slacks. Changing out my shirt for a more presentable one, I put on a tie and grabbed a jacket from my small closet. I always took care to look my best, which was hard considering I was a foot or taller than everyone else around me. Ever try to get clothes that fit you when you couldn't actually walk into a store? Not easy, not easy at all.

Making sure that I had everything, I exited my room and headed downstairs. Peering into the living room on my way out I saw that Selina was talking to Ridley and my lip curled.

' _Soon you won't have to deal with her anymore._ ' Scarecrow whispered, and I nodded in agreement.

Once this was over, I didn't have to worry about it. The problem would be gone and things would go back to normal. Oh sure, Edward would gripe and moan about it, but I'd be there for him, comfort him, and then he'd see that he needed nobody else in his life except for me. If worse came to worse, I could easily just make him, he'd give in eventually. It wasn't something I necessarily wanted to do, but I would.

Walking out the front door, I was careful to walk in all the blind spots that Edwards annoying cameras couldn't see. He went on and on about how much the cameras protected us and how he'd know if the authorities or Batman were coming, but with all the blond spots, that claim was ridiculous. I could literally walk from the main warehouse to the smaller one where we kept the getaway van and various other vehicles parked with little to no effort. Edward was definitely slacking, normally he would've noticed such a mistake already.

Entering the building through a side door, I selected the preferred car that I chose when I usually went out, a black BMW M Coupe. It's been hell trying to even get the thing, stealing it wasn't an option because of obvious reasons, so I had been forced to use my alias to purchase it. Mitchell Adams, 34 years old, was apparently the proud owner of a BMW M Coupe and supposedly ran a business with his work partner, Edward Nashton. Completely fiction of course, but it kept the police from being suspicious.

Opening the door and sliding into the front seat, I plucked the keys from behind the sun visor. Turning on the car on, I opened the garage door and carefully backing out of the warehouse and turning onto the deserted street. Fiddling with the radio, I settled on a station before relaxing. Everything would be taken care of soon, I just had to figure out the logistics and make sure that Edward never figured out my plan. I could be civil with Ridley if it made Edward feel better. Only until it was too late though, or if I was pressured into showing my true colors, then things would get dicey. Until then, I was free to relax and not worry about anything. The words of the song floated through the car and I absently hummed along:

 _I won't be pushed aside_

 _I will be heard_

 _I will get what I want_

 _What I deserve..._


	34. 【34】

**A/N: Posting two chapters today because I won't be able to on Friday! Enjoy this. :)**

 **Ridley's P.O.V.**

I scrambled backward, eyes wide as Edward slammed the door in my face. What was his deal? It wasn't like the simulation was about him. Maybe he overreacted because it had changed. Maybe that surprised him, or he thought it was an insult to his intelligence somehow; he _was_ a perfectionist after all.

I clung to the memory of the end of the simulation, running it over and over again in my mind as I wandered back upstairs. How accurate was it though? That whole simulation was based on the original technology, which belonged to Mad Hatter. If that didn't make me leery enough, I didn't even remember my own mother. If I didn't remember her, then how did I know if the simulation was actually the truth?

I could probably track down Mad Hatter if I wanted to and ask him about the accuracy of his 'Wonderland', but I would rather not. That man was disgusting; vile. Besides being a schizophrenic pedophile, he had a fetish for hats and an affinity for _Alice in Wonderland._ If that didn't scream crazy, I didn't know what did. At least Edward and Jon were somewhat sane, and Selina seemed like the sanest to me.

Speaking of Selina, she was sitting on the couch reading a magazine as I walked into the living room.

"Ridley," she said, setting the magazine down and looking at me, "is something wrong?"

 _No, why would you think that?_ I signed.

Selina sighed and patted the seat next to her, "Why don't you sit down?" She reached over and grabbed a pad of paper that Edward must've left on the coffee table because a few riddles were written out in his neat handwriting.

Sitting down, I picked up the pencil that was also sitting there and wrote out what I'd said.

"Something is wrong." Selina insisted. "Call it want you want, mothers intuition, sixth sense, a cats ability to sense human emotions, it's all the same. Plus, I can read you like a book, it's all there on your face. What. Did. Edward. Do?"

 _Nothing that bad,_ I wrote, _he just got mad about something. It surprised me because it was during a simulation._

"A simulation?" Selina asked, raising an eyebrow.

 _To help me with my training,_ I wrote. _It was to meant to get me to use my imagination more._

Selina snorted as she read that.

 _Apparently, he thinks that my mind is too logical and analytical._

"That's ridiculous," Selina said, "I mean, who thinks like that? It's impossible to not have an imagination, and even if it is limited, you still have one."

I nodded in agreement before writing, That's just who he is though, you can't change it.

"I suppose not," Selina sighed. "Did he get mad about that?"

 _No, I think it was because of what he saw in my simulation._

"He put you through one of his simulations?" Selina said, raising an eyebrow. "That was only an experimental thing. He wasn't actually supposed to use it until he was sure that it would work. Tell me, what happened?"

I proceeded to explain to her what had happened. It was good for me because it helped me remember, and I had it written down as well. I stopped when I got to the Wonderland aspect of it and hesitated. That whole thing seemed off like something was trying to prevent me from writing about it. Eventually, I managed to, and an array of emotions crossed over Selinas face as she read over my shoulder.

"So from your understanding, the system glitched and went back to the original program, which was Mad Hatters Wonderland?"

I nodded, _I think the glitch was what add him mad._

"But he reacted towards you, not the simulation," Selina pointed out.

 _Well, yes, but it could go either way. He could be mad at me or the simulation. I was the only other person in the room with him at that time. It was only logical that he'd lash out at me specifically._

Selina gave a slight nod as she read what I wrote. "Now that I think about it," she said, "he might've been mad at both you and the simulation, it not in the way you think."

 _What do you mean?_

"Well," Selina paused, "the simulation changed to your Wonderland, right? That comes directly from your subconscious because it's literally showing you what you want in your life. You were actually lucky that Edward took you out of it, but never mind the fact. Maybe he wasn't mad at you per seem but rather at what your subconscious was showing."

 _But why?_ I wrote, _it's not like he knows the people that were in the simulation, right?_

"It's complicated," Selina said. "The simulation drew off of your subconscious, and your subconscious drew off of your suppressed memories. Since it was your Wonderland, there were only happy memories or fabrications of them."

 _Well, that's a pleasant thought,_ I wrote. _I'm wondering who the last person in the simulation was though. I never got to see their face, but they sounded familiar. They were the only one that I felt connected to, you know? Like I'd met them before in real life and I remembered it. In fact, if I had to say, they remind me of—_

A door slammed and I jumped violently, the pencil sliding across the page making a heavy mark.

 _What was that?_ I scribbled down.

"Most likely Jon," Selina replied. "He goes out sometimes to blow off steam when he can't handle things."

 _Not Edward?_

Selina shook her head, "Edward rarely goes out by himself. Only on certain occasions does he do that. Speaking of Edward, I'm going to go and make him explain and then apologize for how he treated you, it wasn't called for."

 _It's really fine_ , I wrote, shaking my head, _not a big deal._ It was a big deal though, and the whole thing was bothering me, what had I done wrong? He'd already been belittling me because of my "lack of imagination", what else was there?

Selina read my expression and frowned. "We are going to go and talk to him," she said firmly, standing up and gently pulling me to my feet. "I'll be with you, so don't worry about it."

I reluctantly followed her out the living room and down the hall when I heard the door open again. Turning around, I saw two brunette women walk in. Both wore matching green leotards and black fishnet stockings.

"Query, Echo," Selina greeted them.

"Selina," the one on the right, Query, said, "is Edward around?"

"He should be around here somewhere," Selina told her.

"Excellent," Query said before focusing on me. "Who might this be?" she asked.

"This is Ridley," Selina said, putting a hand on my shoulder. "She's the newest addition. Ridley, this is Query and Echo, Edwards henchwomen."

I nodded absentmindedly and started hard at Echo. She seemed extremely familiar, like _really_ familiar. Put her in some fashionable clothes, add some different makeup, and I was looking at someone from school. I then realized with a jolt, that I was looking into the face of none other than Astrid Greene, as I knew her.

###

Just as the shock was registering in my mind, Edward walked down the stairs.

"You're here," he said, "that's great."

 _Hold on,_ I signed, waving my arms to get his attention, _Echo's Astrid? Or rather, Astrid is Echo?_

"Oh, that issue," Edward said, scratching his head. "Well, I placed Echo in Gotham High to keep an eye on you."

"Are you talking about me pretending to be someone else?" Echo asked.

Edward nodded, "It was in our best interest."

I did a quick calculation in my head, _You were watching me for the past eight years!?_ I remembered distinctly when Ast— er rather— Echo hadn't been exactly the nicest person in the world. She hadn't been exactly the nicest to anyone, and to me in particular. _Why'd you do that?_

"Like I said a few days ago," Edward said spreading his hands, "we've been wanting you for a long time."

 _Because that doesn't sound creepy at all,_ I signed.

"More like you were the one that wanted her to be with us," Selina responded from her place beside me. She glared at Edward, obviously still annoyed with what he'd done.

"I'm not going to deny that," Edward said, "but it's not something to be that concerned about."

 _Um, excuse me!?_ I signed, _it kind of is! You were stalking me!_

"Not stalking," Edward corrected, "researching you."

 _That's even worse! And why have the person be a complete bitch to me? Why not have her be my friend or something? She also looks a lot older than a high school senior!_

"Was she really that bad?" Edward asked, glancing at Echo.

"I may not have been the nicest," Echo admitted, "but it all worked out in the end, right? I promise that I'm not that bad once you get to know me. I'm actually a very pleasant person to be around."

"And to answer your question about her age," Edward added, "Echo is only a few years older than you, it was surprisingly easy to put in fake documents when enrolling her."

"You think everything is easy," Selina retorted, practically bristling.

"The friend issue is different though," Edward continued, ignoring Selina, "you already had someone that was somewhat of a friend, and we were pretty sure that he was working for someone else."

 _So I had two stalkers!?_

"Please don't use that word," Edward said, "it's not the politest thing to call someone."

"Like you know that 'polite' is," Selina snapped.

"What's your problem?" Edward asked, finally acknowledging her.

"My problem?" Selina demanded. "What about what you did to Ridley?"

"I didn't do anything to her!" Edward said exasperatedly.

"Then what was the whole simulation thing about? You know that you weren't supposed to use it until you were sure that it'd be safe to use! Mad Hatter's Wonderland is not something to be trifled with!"

"I know that!" Edward said, "I thought that it would be ok to use and that I got it figured out!"

"Well, you clearly didn't!" Selina said with a scowl.

"Echo, Query!" Edward said, unnecessarily loudly. Clearly, Selina was getting to him. "You guys know where to go, right?"

"Yes," Query said, giving me a curious look, "do you want us to go and-"

"Yes," Edward interrupted, "preferably now."

"Sure," Query said with a nod, "come on Echo."

The two of them left, and once they were gone, Edward turned back to Selina and I.

"What do you want me to do," he asked, "apologize?"

"That, and explain why you acted like that," Selina said, crossing her arms, "it was uncalled for."

"If you'd known what it was then you wouldn't say that it was uncalled for," Edward replied, removing his glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"That's a load of crap," Selina snapped. "Apologize. Now."

Edward sighed and replaced his glasses. "I-I'm sorry for how I treated you," he said. "Do you accept my apology?"

 _I accept your apology, but-_

"But...?" Edward prompted.

 _Let me finish!_ I signed before continuing. _-but, I don't accept the way you treated me._

"I understand," Edward said gratefully, "and I won't-"

"Don't say it won't happen again," Selina interrupted, "we all know that it will. Don't make promises that you can't keep."

"Fine," Edward said, crossing his arms.

"Why treat her like that in the first place?" Selina continued. "I'm going to put aside the fact that you shouldn't have done the simulation because I already told you that, so why lash out at her? It wasn't her fault, it was yours."

"I can't talk about it," Edward said, turning around and walking away.

"Can't or won't?" Selina demanded. "Don't walk away from me!"

"What do you want me to do," Edward rounded on Selina, "explain my reasoning with everything?"

"No, not everything," Selina conceded, "but at least enough so that Ridley actually can understand something!"

 _Understand what?_ I signed. I had the feeling that this was going far beyond Edward getting pissy at me for no reason. There was something else that was going on, but what was it?

"Nothing," Edward said, "I need to go and make sure that Query and Echo are doing what I asked them to do."

He started walking away again and Selina made to go after him. I grabbed her arm and shook my head.

 _He obviously doesn't want to talk about it. Let's not pressure him._

Selina scowled, but I knew that it wasn't at me, she was still irritated with Edward.

I was near the end of all the secret keeping, but I could at least give Edward a chance to explain things before I started demanding answers. I could even start digging into things myself if I wanted to, Barbra had given me enough information to get me started, and I had a visual of things from the simulation to help me put names to faces. A lot of material was there for me to work with, I just had to exploit it.


	35. 【35】

**A/N: So sorry for not updating last week! I was on vacation and thought I would have time to update, but obviously I didn't. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **Ridley's P.O.V.**

 _ ***Three Days later***_

The past three days had been busy as I had to get ready for my first mission. I was still a bit apprehensive about it, but that couldn't be helped. I kept wondering if whatever was planned would draw the attention of Bruce. If it did and I ran into him, then what would I do? There was a lot that had been left unsaid, and I wondered if Richard had told him about his visit; it was possible. I had bigger things to worry about then whether or not Bruce would show up, however.

For the past three days, my training had gotten more rigorous and whenever Edward wanted to train me, Selina insisted that she be there. This actually wasn't a bad thing, I quite liked her being there, it made things less awkward. On the other hand, it made Edward more irritable. He felt like Selina was there to make sure that he didn't do anything to hurt me or my feelings, which I suppose she was.

Edward kept complaining that he didn't need to be watched and was perfectly applicable of treating me like a decent human being. He'd been a pain to deal with these past few days though. Even after I had accepted his apology, I still didn't forgive him for how he treated me. I gave him the cold shoulder and only acknowledged him when I had to. Edward had then preceded to follow me around and try to engage me in conversation every chance he got. It quickly grew old and I realized that he hated not being the center of attention; he absolutely despised it. At least Jon was around to keep his attention mostly off of me.

Jon had come back from the outing suspiciously cheerful for a guy that was more doom and gloom, not to mention a bit of a creep who had anger issues. He'd marched right up to Edward and asked, asked, if he would teach him sign language. If that wasn't weird enough, Edward actually agreed to it, after asking Jon for his reasons of course.

Jon had explained that it would be needed for the mission as Edward wouldn't be able to go. Apparently this was still a sore spot for Edward, who then began to whine about it. Whine for God's sake, like he was a little kid who didn't get his way.

Now, pacing my room, I went over the piece of paper Selina had given me which listed the things that I needed. She'd been very clear on how important it was that I had everything because it could make or break the mission. I had already gotten dressed in my outfit that had been decided on days prior, and Selina had applied my makeup for me, considerably less from when Harley had done it. I personally thought that the makeup was unnecessary, I was going to be wearing a full face mask after all. Said mask was already sitting on my bed, waiting to be put on.

I ran my fingers through my cut and dyed hair. After Harley had done that, I grew to like it though it was a bit shorter than I would've liked it to be. The color also made it impossible for me to go out without wearing a wig. Purple, not matter what shade, was quite the noticeable color; not as much as green or yellow. Any bright colors in Gotham stood out though, for a city it was pretty drab.

I stopped pacing when I heard someone knock on the door. I could've ignored it, but Selina had said that she would come back up to double check that I had everything. Thinking it was her, I opened the door to reveal Edward. He stood there awkwardly and rubbed his arm.

"May I come in?" he asked politely.

I wordlessly stepped back and allowed his the enter. He scanned my room for a minute before focusing on me.

"I just wanted to see how you're doing," he said, adjusting his glasses. "Are you nervous about tonight?"

I shrugged and leaned against the door frame. This is what it had become between us, a one sided conversation, not unlike how it was when I lived with Bruce. At least there, I had lived with him long enough that he could pretty much guess what I was thinking by my facial expressions. It was pretty lonely not talking to Edward through sign language, but I had to at least try not to. Holding grudges wasn't exactly my strong suit, the longest one I held was probably a week and I expected this one to last only a few days as it was really hard to ignore Edward. That wasn't just because he wouldn't leave me alone.

"You know that I would be there if I could," Edward persisted, "if it weren't for my injury."

I nodded. Of course I did. It was the only thing that he'd been complaining about for the past day and a half.

"Would you mind checking them for me?" Edward asked.

 _Why not get Jon to do it?_ I signed finally.

"Well, I could," Edward said, sounding relieved that I was talking to him again, "but he'd be too agreeable. There's something wrong about that."

 _So you won't ask him for help because his attitude bothers you?_ I raised an eyebrow.

"That does sound a bit silly, doesn't it?" Edward smiled slightly. "Please?"

 _Fine_ , I rolled my eyes. Like I said, I was horrible at keeping a grudge. _Sit down in the chair._

Edward sat down in my desk chair and lifted up his shirt so I could see the stitches. Kneeling down next to him, I ran my fingers lightly over the scar that was forming and Edward flinched.

"Sorry," he said as I glanced up at him, "your hands are cold."

 _The stitches seem fine_ , I signed. _Normally with wounds like this you wait about a week or two depending on the severity before you take the stitches out, but since it was a shallow cut, I could take them out now. That still doesn't mean that you can come along with us though._

"That's great," Edward said, "just get these things out of me."

 _You'll most likely have a scar_ , I informed him.

"Even better." Edward grinned. "Don't women like guys with scars?"

 _You're insufferable_ , I rolled my eyes. _And to answer your question, I'm not the best person to ask._

"Take your best guess."

 _Why do you even want to know? It's useless information._

"No information is useless," Edward countered.

 _That may be true, but there is most certainly information out there that just takes up space in your brain._ I reached behind him and grabbed a pair of scissors out of the desk drawer.

"Give me one example," Edward challenged.

Setting the scissors on the ground next to me, I pondered before replying. _'Screeched' is the longest single syllable word in the English language along with 'schlepped','scratched', 'scrounged', 'scrunched', 'stretched', and the plural nouns 'straights' and 'strengths'._

"Knew that," Edward said. "The question is, how did you?"

 _I pick up weird and random facts_ , I explained. _Did you know that the sentence, "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" contains every letter of the alphabet at least once?_

Edward blinked in surprise before giving a slow nod, "Makes sense, I believe those are called holoalphabetic sentences?"

 _They're also known as pangrams. A complete pangram is an anagram of the alphabet, though not many exist that make sense. I believe one is "Blowzy night-frumps vex'd Jack Q"._

"I know," Edward said. "What do you want? A prize?"

 _Some respect would be nice._

Edwards face fell slightly, "I'm sorry about that, you know I-"

I cut him off by waving my hand before picking the scissors back up. _Don't move, or I might cut you._

Focusing on the task at hand, I searched for the knot that I'd tied previously, and cut it. Using my nails to pick at the end of the thread, I deftly pulled it out. Edward jerked back in surprise so that actually was what mostly pulled it out. A small bit of blood appeared and I had to grab a tissue to wipe it off. His muscles contracted under my hand and I became extremely nervous and self conscious of what I was doing. Not having anything else to do, I plopped my hands into my lap and twisted them together.

"Thanks for that," Edward said. He stood up and offered a hand to me. Taking it reluctantly, I allowed him to pull me to my feet before quickly letting go.

I rocked back on my heels as an uncomfortable silence filled the space between us.

"Uhhhh.." Edward cleared his throat. "You look nice."

 _You've got to be kidding me_ , I signed, making a face. _Have you ever tried to wear a corset? It's the worst. I feel like I'm going to puke up my guts._

"I've never worn a corset before," Edward said humorously, "but I can image how it feels. You most certainly look uncomfortable."

Yes. Blame it on the corset.

 _So what are you doing here anyways?_ I asked.

"Selina sent me up to get you," Edward said.

 _Did she forgive you?_

"Oh, not yet." Edward laughed. "I think she's waiting to see where you stand on things."

 _I can't hold a grudge to save my life_ , I admitted.

"Good for me then," Edward said. "Why don't you grab the rest of your stuff and then we'll head downstairs?"

 _Sure_. I walked over to my bed and grabbed my mask.

"Excellent, shall we go then?"


	36. 【36】

"You ready?" Selina asked, looking up as Edward and I entered the living room. I glanced around to find it not as cluttered as I thought it would be. There were a few black duffel bags on the floor by Selina's feet.

I nodded and fiddled with my mask. I glanced towards the back of the room where the sounds of clanking could be heard. Apparently, Jon was having issues with his stuff with the frustrated sounds that emitted.

"There's no need to be nervous," Selina said kindly, "nothing bad will happen to you with me there."

"I'll be there too!" Jon said, popping up from where he crouched.

"I highly doubt that you'll be any help," Edward remarked. "You always end up getting into some sort of trouble."

"Lucky for me, you won't be there," Jon fired back.

"I thought that you'd want me to be there," Edward said with a smirk, "to save your sorry butt."

"I don't need any saving," Jon sniffed. "I'm perfectly able to get myself out of on the other hand..."

"Both of you stop," Selina said as Edward opened his mouth to retort. "We don't need you two going at it. This is about Ridley and her introduction into what we do."

"I'm certain that she knows what we do," Jon said, rolling his eyes, "it's not exactly a secret."

"I know that Jon," Selina said, "but she doesn't know about it from our point of view, only what she hears later on the news."

 _I actually don't watch the news_ , I signed, placing my mask under my arm.

"You don't?" Edward said raising his eyebrows.

 _It's a bunch of rubbish that hardly ever speaks the truth_ , I scowl.

"Well it is Gotham after all," Jon pointed out. "Everything here is corrupt."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious." Edwards' voice dripped with sarcasm.

Jon scowled and Selina quickly took care of the situation.

"Alright then!" She said, clapping her hands. "Why don't we get all of our stuff and head out? We can debrief everything once we're on our way."

Jon grunted before turning back to whatever he'd been doing and Edward focused on me.

"Don't let Jons attitude rub off on you," he warned.

 _Like that'll happen_ , I rolled my eyes.

"Here you go," Selina said to me, handing me my weapon.

Taking it in my free hand, the sudden weight of what was about to happen suddenly dawned on me. I may have told Richard that I wasn't going back to Wayne Manor, but now, that reality would be cemented. I would no longer be an ordinary citizen (or at least as ordinary as I could be), I'd be a wanted criminal.

Briefly, I wondered if it was too late to back out, but I quickly dismissed the idea. Selina would want to know why, Jon would be indifferent, and Edward... I knew that he'd be disappointed. Did it matter though? So what if he was disappointed? The question that's been floating through my mind the past few days resurfaced: Why did I care about what Edward thought of me?

Seeing the indecision on my face, Edward patted my arm. "You'll do fine," he said, "just follow Selina's lead and-"

Whatever she was going to say next was interrupted by Jon yelling.

"I finally got it!" he exclaimed, holding up a hand.

The contraption that was on his hand was not unlike the one that Johnny Depp had to wear in the movie Edward Scissorhands. However, instead of knives, Jon's was fitted with various sized needles which in turn were attached to vials of Fear Toxin.

"Really, Jon?" Selina asked with a slight frown. "That thing is so bulky and personally I think a bit unnecessary. What happened to your regular dispenser?"

"I still have it," Jon said, pushing back his sleeve, "see?"

A much smaller, but none the deadlier canister of Fear Toxin was strapped to his arm.

"I wear this thing," he added, adjusting his sleeve again, "because it holds more Fear Toxin. Not to mention that it's more terrifying for my victims." He gave a devilish grin and wiggled his fingers, causing the needles to clack together.

"You're not that scary," Edward huffed. "Why don't you all get going now?"

"Trying to get rid of us?" Jon smirked.

"Noooo," Edward said, rolling his eyes. "You guys have to be there at 9 O'Clock. It's 8:36 right now, and it'll take you at least 15 minutes to get down there."

"Plenty of time," Jon said.

"You also will have to explain to Ridley how things will go," Edward reminded him.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Jon waved him away.

What the heck happening all of the sudden? One moment they were arguing, and the next they weren't? Was Jon actually not lashing out at what Edward was saying? I glanced at Selina to see if she was witnessing this strange phenomenon.

Selina was staring at the two of them, lips slightly parted in surprise. Clearly, she couldn't believe what was happening in front of her.

"What is it?" Jon demanded, noticing her expression.

"Nothing." Selina shook her head and muttered something under her breath.

"Let's go now," Jon decided. "We'll be late otherwise."

"That's what I was trying to tell you," Edward pointed out.

"I know that," Jon said, irritated, "you don't need to repeat it."

"You're the one that was— oh nevermind. Get out of here."

... and they were back at it. Well, it was magnificent in its short time of existence.

Selina picked the two bags at her feet and walked past me into the hallway. "Come along you two, this isn't going to take care of itself."

Jon shot a glare at Edward before hoisting his own bag onto his shoulder. Pushing past Edward, he followed Selina. I made to go with them, but Edward grabbed my arm.

"Don't be too discouraged by anything that happens," he told me, "there's about a 20% chance that Batman will show up. I pulled some strings and laid some clues that suggest you're going to be raiding some incoming shipment of artwork for the Gotham Museums next exhibit."

 _Art enthusiast much?_ I raised an eyebrow.

"Not exactly," Edward chuckled, "more like it was the only other thing that was happening tonight. I'd still be careful though, my sources say that Batman has—"

"Come on Ridley!" Jon yelled, possibility from outside.

"Might as well go," Edward said, releasing my arm and propelling me gently towards the door. "Jon isn't the best to deal with when he's impatient."

I give him a small smile before walking out to join Selina and Jon.

XXXXX

"Okay," Selina said, tossing the empty bags into the back of the nondescript black van we'd be using as our transportation and getaway car, "why don't we get going. Jon, you ride in back and tell Ridley how things are going to happen."

We were all standing in a smaller warehouse that must've been their "garage" of sorts, surrounded by at least a dozen cars or so. Wondering if they'd been obtained illegally (they probably were), I scrambled into the back of the van and sat down next to the bags against the side.

"Why do I have to be in the back?" Jon scowled.

"Because," Selina said impatiently, "You can't expect to drive with that thing on your arm, can you?"

"Fine," Jon humphed, tossing his bag in before climbing into the van and sitting across from me.

"Let's get this show on the road then!" Selina got into the driver's seat and shut the door before turning the engine on and backing out of the warehouse.

"The bank that we're going to be robbing is one of the smaller ones here in Gotham," Jon said as Selina drove. "Small enough that it will most likely fly under the radar, it big enough to warrant our interest. You got that?"

I gave a curt nod, tapping my fingers on my leg.

"We only take what we need," Jon continued, "no more, no less. It's the same with our other robberies and heists. Unlike some of the other Rouges, we don't mindlessly loot and raid places. That's what's been keeping us out of Arkham, mostly."

 _What's your purpose for robbing the bank tonight then?_ I signed slowly so I could give Jon a better chance of understanding me.

Jon furrowed his bore and thought hard before replying, "The whole point of this mission is to get you introduced to our lifestyle."

 _That's not really a good excuse_ , I signed with a frown.

"Well there's the money aspect of it as well," Jon admitted, "you can't really get a normal job once you become one of the city's most wanted criminals. You have to pay the bills, you know?"

I give him a surprised look and Jon rolled his eyes, "Give me a break. We may be criminals, but we're not savages."

 _So nothing like Robin Hood then? Taking from the rich and giving to the poor?_ Obviously, it was nothing like that, but someone had to make sure, right? Maybe a small part of me hoped that they really were nice people? They had been treating me decently enough this whole time, surprisingly enough.

"God no," Jon snorted, "it's more like taking from those unfortunate to have bank accounts in the banks we rob and giving it to ourselves. Or more accurately, giving it to people to bribe them to keep their mouths shut about various things, really anything we need it for."

He lapsed into silence and I was all too happy to let it stay that way. I didn't have to kinks about the Rouges questionable business dealings, at least not yet. The light from the street lamp glinted off of Jon's glasses as Selina turned down a street before the van was filled once again with a shadowy darkness.

I couldn't help but feel kind of sorry for Jon. He had it fairly rough, but didn't all the Rouges? Pushed to the edges of society because of their misgivings. Not saying that there weren't the ones that just did it because they could. I recalled what Bruce had told me about him. Jon had another, more deadly personality that had led the public to know him as Scarecrow. While it wasn't as bad as Two-Face, Jon's alter-ego was just as prominent.

What was it like to have a part of you, something that was and wasn't, separate? It must've been hard for Jon to deal with it day in and day out. Maybe that's why he was always in a crappy mood. A part of me knew it was just that though if it was at all. Ever since I'd figured out that Jon liked Edward, his mannerisms and attitude made more and more sense. What was I thinking though? It couldn't possibly sympathize with someone like him. Out of all of those I've been around, he was probably the most dangerous.

"What is it?" Jon snapped. "You're staring."

I blinked slowly, having not realized it until he'd called me out.

 _Nothing,_ I signed, shaking my head, _just thinking._ I tapped the side of my head.

"Well, can you think without staring?" Jon scowled. "It's irritating."

 _Better than you thinking,_ I replied, _you'd just lower the IQ of the whole street._

Jon scowl deepened, "Now you're sounding like Edward. He's a bad influence on you."

 _What's your deal with him?_ I ask. _Did he do anything that causes you to act this way?_

Jon opened his mouth to speak only to lurch forward as the van came to a halt.

"Sorry about that," Selina said, cutting the engine, "but we're here."

"Finally!" Jon said before rummaging through his bag. "Here, look at this."

He spread out a piece of patter on the floor of the van and shined a flashlight on it.

Leaning forward, I saw that it was a floor plan of the place we were going to rob.

Jon pulled out another map and placed it beside the floor plan, "We're here." He pointed to an alleyway that ran between two buildings. "The bank is here," he pointed to the building that was directly across from where we were. "And then the floor plan..." he pulled it back out so that it laid on top of the map. "Entrance is here, it's the closest to us, and the vault, which is here..." he tapped an outline of a room in the far corner, "is the farthest away."

 _So just try to get to the vault as soon as possible without dying?_ I asked.

"You're not going to die," Jon rolled his eyes, "mostly only get hurt."

 _Cause that's so much better._

"You can die if you want to," he snapped.

"Nobody's going to die or get hurt," Selina said twisting around to face us, "not on my watch."

 _How are we going to get into the vault?_

"Well that's the tricky thing," Jon said. "Edward's going to shut down the power in this sector of the city so the alarms don't go off. That's good for us, but on the flip side, we won't be able to see as clearly, and the vault will be pretty much impossible to open."

 _Then what's the point of robbing a bank you can't even get money out of?_

"That's where this thing comes into play." Jon pulled out another thing from his bag and it took me a split second to realize what it was.

 _A bomb!?_ I signed wildly. _Why would you— that's a national offense! Terrorism!_

"Why are you surprised?" Jon said. "Besides, it's measured out exactly to cause the minimal amount of damage but still open the vault. Terrorism isn't that big of a deal to me anyway," he smirked, "I am The King of Fear after all. All forms of terror are my specialty."

"Enough chit-chat," Selina said, "let's get this going. Edward should be cutting the power in about five minutes."

"Perfect," Jon said, slipping his mask on and opening the back of the van, before grabbing his bag. I followed more slowly, apprehension coiling in my stomach.

"Don't forget to put your mask on," Selina told me, getting out and walking over. "And what about your weapon?" she chided. "Do you expect to walk in there and survive without one?"

I shook my head, cheeks flaring in embarrassment. I climbed back into the van and grabbed my weapon, which was currently in its dormant phase; a canister type thing about the size of a large canned good, with a handle and trigger.

Holstering it, I climbed back out and slipped my mask over my head. It felt a bit strange, definitely something I would have to get used to, like everything else that would happen tonight. I just had to now be careful to not have my mask fall off, considering that the only thing that was holding it in place was a thin elastic strap.

"Here." Selina tossed me a pair of gloves and one of the duffle bags.

"This is so far below us," Jon complained as I pulled on the gloves before shouldered the duffle bag and twisting the strap slightly in my hand. "Why couldn't we do something more interesting like crashing a ball, or even having something more interesting to do other than walking in? This is so stupid."

"Just shut up and go along with it," Selina snapped. "I'm in no mood to argue with you. While I might agree, this is for Ridley. We can do something more extravagant some other time."

Jon grunted and tapped his foot; waiting.

"Jon will take care of the people inside of the bank," Selina said to me, pulling on her own cat-like mask. "That leaves us to open the vault and get the money."

Jon handed Selina the homemade bomb just a nearby streetlight flickered out.

"That'd be our queue," he said as more lights continued to go out.

"It won't be completely dark in there," Selina said as we crept out of the alley and stole across the street, keeping low. "The bank likely has generators. You'll do fine."

I only hoped that I would.

XXXXX

The bank was bigger than I expected it to be, two stories and made of rough brick. True to what Selina had said, I could see a few lights flicker on inside the bank through the windows, revealing the dim interior. Though the windows I could see several people running around.

I followed Selina as she slipped into the shadows that had been created.

"They know something's going to happen." Jon said, standing next to me. He watched the people inside greedily, quivering with delight. "I can practically taste their fear."

I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear you say that, I signed, it's creepy and weird.

"What?" Jon asked, pausing. His voice was slightly muffled so it sounded more like fhat?

It was hard for me to figure out what his facial expression was because of his mask, but I was certain that he was frowning.

"It's already hard enough for me to understand you, but now I haven't the foggiest idea of what you just said. The gloves are hampering your ability."

More like your understanding is hampered, I signed.

"I don't-"

"Jon!" Selina hissed, "focus on the task at hand!"

"Alright already!" Jon snaps. "Let's just get this over with."

He double checked to make sure that his mask was on correctly, before pushing open the door of the bank. He was just so calm about it, like it was just a simple trip down to the supermarket.

The first few minutes were crazy, with Jon not even bothering to say anything. He just turned to the nearest person, who was unfortunately trying to run out of the building, and gassed them directly in the face. That person went down screaming, and Selina had to drag me away because I had froze in shock.

"Come on." She pulled me into the shadows on the edge of the room and propelled me along as she picked her way from one shadow to the next, heading towards the vault as chaos erupted around us.

I would occasionally glance back, staring at Jon and what he was doing. It was scary, but also fascinating to watch. The brutality and efficiency of his attacks ensured that he used the least amount of Fear Toxin to the most maximum effect.

"Ridley," Selina said exasperated, "focus, would you?"

We stopped a few feet from the vault, which surprisingly didn't have anyone guarding it. Seriously, didn't they know how these things worked? Granted, I didn't so it wasn't the biggest concern to me. Wasn't it better if no one was in our way?

"Guard me," Selin a said as she took out the bomb.

I gave an uncertain nod, and stationed myself in front of her. Taking out my weapon, I realized that only three feet of deadly metal stood between me and something, or someone, decided to come this way.

Since I was now facing the lobby of the bank, I could see how thing were going on Jon's end of things. He was currently engaging in hand to hand combat with one of the employees of the bank. Well, more accurately, the man was trying to dodge Jons attacks than actually fighting him. Smart move.

I wondered what had happened to the rest of his Fear Toxin, certainly he'd brought enough with him to last the mission? I got my answer quickly when I saw several vials of is on the floor; smashed. Well, that explained his angered blows towards the other man.

Hearing a slight whimpering sound from nearby, I titled my head and turned towards it. Another man, probably in his late thirties, was curled up on the ground hiding behind a potted plant. From the lobby, he wouldn've been seen by Jon, but for me, he was in plain view. It took me a moment to realize what he was doing; frantically tapping away on his phone.

I had a decision to make, I realized, should I let the man continue to try and get a hold of the police, which he was clearly trying to do, or should I stop him? I didn't want to hurt the guy, I would only do something like that in a serious situation. But wasn't this serious though? It could make or break us getting out of here alive and not getting put in Arkham.

Maybe I could scare him a bit? I could hit the pot and not worry about hitting the man. Yes, I'd do that. I knew that both Jon and Selina would appreciate not ending up in Arkham. I would as well, having heard stories of that awful place. Making my decision, I took a deep breath before letting my weapon fly.

With a resounding Crack! my weapon struck the potted plant, cleaving it in two and causing the plant to burst into flames. Great, just what I needed. I didn't want to add arson the possible list of felonies and crimes that I might accumulate in the future.

The man let out a squawk of surprise and dropped his phone before staring at me in fear. With another flick of my wrist, the phone was destroyed in a flash of sparks. I knew that it was already too late though, I'd seen briefly what the phone screen had been showing: CALL ENDED.

The police would probably be here in a few minutes, of course, given how far we were from downtown Gotham, it might be a bit longer.

I watched the man slowly crawl away in fear, occasionally glancing back to see if I was following him; I wasn't though. Selina rested her hand on my shoulder and I jumped slightly.

"It's done," she said, "60 seconds is all it should take."

Just then, I heard the shatter of glass and looked up so quickly, my neck popped. Wincing, I tried to understand what my eyes were showing me: Batman and Robin jumping down from the now broken sky light.

Wait... No, not Batman and Robin. The person clad in black was thinner, and smaller than Bruce. A shock of red hair also was poking out from underneath their mask, ending neatly around their shoulders. Even if the person was wearing a tailored version of the Batsuit, 'Robin' was a different matter.

It was the same red, green, and yellow suit, same mask, but definitely not the same person. They looked like someone that was around my own age, though if was hard to tell for sure. What the heck was going on here?

The woman in the Batsuit, yes, it was most certainly a woman, landed on top of Jon feet first, knock both of them to the ground. Of course, that move was dangerous in its own right, instabity, the possibility of breaking bones, the list went on.

Robin-not-Robin, as I decided to call him, landed a bit more gracefully in a tuck and roll ad ended up on his feet.

Selina assessed the situation quickly before whispering in my ear, "Can you hold off... Robin?" She sounded as unsure as I felt about all of this. "Just until I can get the momey, then we'll get out of here."

 _Sure_ , I shrugged.

"It shouldn't be that long," Selina said, "only a few minutes."

I nodded before inching out into the main lobby. Jon was fighting the woman and Robin-not-Robin looked like he was contemplating joining in. I couldn't let that happen.

Not wanting to, but nog really having a choice in the matter, I let my weapon fly, clipping him in the shoulder. I'd specially aimed for the part of the suit that had the most padding, so instead of knocking him out, it was more of a big shock.

The Second Boy Wonder whirled around to face me, a look of surprise on his face. That look quickly turned into anger as he locked his eyes on my own. Oops...?

He rushed me and I was careful go keep some instance between us. Sure I could easily fight him in hand to hand combat, but there was a breed chance of me getting seriously hurt. Plus, my weapon was more effective at long range anyways.

I kept backing up, leading him away from Selina and the vault, both the help her and distance myself from the explosion that was sure to happen.

There was a shout of anger and I whipped my head around to see that Jon had somehow gotten cornered against one of the counters.

 _'Come on'_ , I thought, _'you can get out of that easily.'_

My attention was torn from Jon as someone slammed their foot into my back and I went down with a grunt, weapon skidding a few feet out of reach.

"Hasn't anyone told you to mind your surroundings?" Robin-not-Robin snarled down at me.

 _'Hasn't anyone told you that you only do this when you're sure that your opponent is completely unconscious or unable to move?'_ I thought, heaving myself upwards, causing him to lose his balance.

Jumping to my feet, I quickly turned around just in time to block his attack. This guy really didn't miss a beat, did he?

Taking a better stance, I started to defend myself. It was a bit hard at first, to adjust to his fighting style and the amount of force he used, but it was similar enough to Bruce's so I could at least not get beaten to a pulp.

Robin (ok I was just to call him that), seemed shocked at I kept meeting him blow for blow, blocking him each time perfectly. I smirked underneath my mask and decided to take the offensive side.

Sending a punch towards his right side, he blocked it as I expected, but failed to notice the kick that I aimed at his left side. Robin flew backwards, and crashed into a pile of overturned chairs.

Rushing to scoop up my weapon, I deactivated it and stuck it in my holster before picking my way towards him, an explosion erupted behind me. The vault. Did Selina finally get into it? I had no time to check as Robin started towards me again.

Getting annoyed with his persistence, I was the first to initiate the fight. Left punch, right kick, round house, throat punch, eye goruge, I wasn't one to be picky anymore. Robin was actually bending under my attacks, forced to take a defensive stance as I advanced on him.

A sharp whistle caught my attention and I kicked Robin in the stomach before turning my attention to the souce. Selina was standing ther, both duffle bags in hand. She jerked her head, a clear sigh that we needed to leave. Sirens sounded faintly in the distance.

Selina's eyes widened at something behind me and she motioned for me to duck. Taking her advice, I dropped low and turned, something whizzing a few inches over my head. I watched in shock, as a Batarang, for that was most certainly what it was, flew into the far wall, embedding itself in the dry wall.

A faint red light flashed on the Batarang and my eyes widened. How the hell did this Robin get his hands on one? Bruce didn't even let Richard have one of the explosive Batarangs. They caused too much damage and had a tendency to be a bit too unpredictable.

Selina must've realized the same thing, because she took out her own whip and caught the woman that was still fighting Jon, by the wrist. Whirling around towards Robin, I sent a savage kick to the groin before delivering a punch to his jugular. He choked and went down. Served him right.

We had about 10 seconds before the Batarang went _Kaboom!_ just enough to hopefully get somewhere safely and not get blown to pieces.

Diving behind one of the counters, I peeked around it to make sure that Selina and Jon were ok. An explosion that rocked the whole building, jappensed, debris raining down. I curled up into a ball and covered my head, heat shearing my skin and causing sweat to poor from underneath my mask. This was absolutely crazy!

Hesitantly standing up on shaky legs I looked around once the explosion was over, the ringing in my ears nearly unbearable. Some grabbed me from behind and I stomped on their foot.

"Fuck!" Jon yelled, "what do you think you're doing?"

Oh, it was just him.

 _You're burning._

I reached up and smacked the side of his face with my gloves hand, putting out the embers that were burning on his mask.

"What the—"

"Let's go both of you!" Selina yelled grabbing each of our arms and dragging us towards the hole the Batarang had created. "The police will be here any moment. We can discuss what happened and what went wrong once we get back. Let's _go._ "

All three of us ran from the vuilding, smoke rising up behind us as the building burned.


	37. 【37】

They say that the best part of waking up in the morning is going back to sleep. I however, didn't have the luxury of going back to sleep.

It's taken me awhile to fall asleep last night despite how tired I had been. It would've taken me awhile even if I hadn't had all the adrenaline going through my system. Questions had crowded my mind, each one appearing and disappearing as another took its place. Even now, the questions kept coming, preventing me from falling back asleep.

Dragging myself out of bed, I was greeted with a teenager-falls-asleep-with-makeup-on face in the mirror. Rolling my eyes, I trudged into the bathroom to wash my face. Wiping may face with a washcloth five minutes later, I stared at myself in the mirror as something dawned on me. I hadn't hesitated.

The one thing that I'd always had trouble with was fighting back. Even in training it was hard. So what had gotten into me last night? I hadn't really hesitated to attack and defend myself. Sure I had to mentally had to talk myself into it, it once I had nothing seemed to stop me. I stared down at my hands and my slightly bruised knuckles.

'It was the thrill of the moment,' I told myself, 'nothing more, nothing less.'

A part of me doubted that though. Part of me thought that what if it was a side effect from being around the Rouges? That was very possible. I wondered if it was a good or bad thing, certainly it had to be one or the other, right?

Deciding not to dwell on it too much, I quickly changed into a nondescript grey shirt and sweats before heading downstairs.

"How are you doing, Ridley?" Edward asked, eyes filled with concern as I entered the kitchen. I hadn't been in the mood to talk much last night, so I had ignored all of this questions on how things had gone.

Edward looked worse than I did though, I doubted that he'd gotten a moments rest either. Was it because he'd been worried? No, we'd gotten back around midnight. There was no reason unless he'd been doing something else after we'd gotten back; but what?

"Ridley?"

I shook myself out of my thoughts and gave a small smile, I'm fine, just tired.

"We're all tired," Jon grumbled, walking in just in time to see my reply. "The question is," he turned to Edward, "you don't look so hot. Why are you tired?"

"Research," Edward replied. "What happened was quite unexpected. It took me all night to get all the information that I thought I might need."

"Meaning that it's probably 98% useless stuff that nobody needs to know," Jon mumbled, walking over and fixing himself a cup of coffee.

What did you find out? I asked, sitting down at the table.

"I'll wait until Selina gets here so I don't have to explain things twice," Edward said, sitting down across from me.

"Oh, cause that would be such a bad thing to do," Jon said sarcastically.

"I'm too tired to argue with you right now," Edward deadpanned. He took off his glasses before rubbing his eyes.

"I'm right here," Selina said, walking in. She to, looked pretty bad; like a disgruntled cat.

"Perfect," Edward said, replacing his glasses.

"So what did you find out?" Jon asked, seemingly slightly put out that Edward hadn't taken his bait.

"Well," Edward began, "from what you told me last night, Robin and some other person crashed the robbery."

"That's putting it mildly," Jon grunted. "Some dumbass destroyed one of my best batches of Fear Toxin."

"That's what you get for bringing it with you," Edward retorted. "Anyway, it seems that Batman has some new sidekicks."

"Even the most stupid of people can clearly see that!" Jon burst out. "Just tell us who they are and what they were doing at the bank last night."

"Well, obviously they were there to—"

"I know why they were there!"

"Then why did you even ask?"

"Boys," Selina interrupted, "stop fighting. I'm in no mood to hear it today. Edward, continue. Jon kindly shut up, ok?"

"From what I can gather, which is enough to not warrant any major concern, the woman that was there last night was Barbara Gordon. Apparently she's going under the alias of 'Batgirl'."

A sense of jealousy rolled through me. I could've been in her place being this 'Batgirl'. Instead I was stuck on the wrong side of the tracks. Instead of being a hero in training, I was a villain in training. However, I did value my freedom, something that I probably never would've gotten had I not gotten kidnapped. Funny, how I thought getting kidnapped was more freedom than being stuck in the Wayne Manor. I needed to get my priorities straightened out.

"Why Barbara Gordon though?" Jon asked, finishing his coffee. "I mean, she's already the Commissioners daughter. It's not like she has to do more than that."

"I can only give you the facts that are presented to me though the evidence," Edward said with a shrug. "Finding out people's reasons for doing the things they do isn't my job. If I remember correctly, it's yours, doctor." He gave Jon a pointed look.

"Like I have time to psychoanalyze people anymore," Jon sniffed. "Especially when I'm trying not to get captured and sent to Arkham."

"We can probably get a good idea of why later," Selina said. "Let's just focus on what we know right now."

Edward nodded before continuing with his explanation, "I also found out that Richard Greyson had a falling out and is no longer the Boy Wonder. Before you make a comment about me not knowing what people are thinking Jon," Edward added, "it was obvious enough from last night."

"I wasn't going to say anything," Jon said, frowning.

"That's besides the point," Edward said. "Richard Greyson is no longer Robin. I suppose there's a point in time when you can't call a man in his late twenties 'Boy Wonder' anymore."

A sinking feeling went through me and I bit my lip. I had my suspicions of what last night could've meant with Richard not being there, but it really didn't sink in until now; when it was actually soldly proven.

Wait, I signed, if Richard isn't Robin anymore, then who is?

"I'm still working on the logistics of it," Edward said.

"That's his way of saying that he doesn't know," Jon informed me. "He just won't admit it."

"Of course I know!" Edward said, giving Jon a hurt look. "Or at least I have a few possibilities of who it might be."

"Name a few then," Jon said, crossing his arms and leaning back, waiting for an answer.

"Well, I-I'm not sure if—"

"You don't know, do you?" Jon said with a smirk.

"O-of course I do!" Edward said, eyes widening. "I just don't know if it's the best to—"

"To what?"

"I—"

"Why don't we go and watch the News?" Selina interrupted, pushing off of the counter that she'd been leaning against.

Good idea, I signed, getting up to follow her.

I didn't particularly want to go and watch the News, I tended to avoid it as much as I could. However, I was willing to make an exception if it meant I could get away from Edward and Jon's arguing. How could they not get tired of it? Always bickering, almost every single moment of the day. They should just accept their differences, be friends; kiss and make up.

Entering the living room behind Selina, I made a beeline for the couch and curled up in one of the corners. Selina sat down in front of the TV and grabbed the remote. Catching movement out of the corner of my eye, I turned to see Edward and Jon enter the room as well.

"You two better not continue your argument in here," Selina said as Jon settled down next to her and Edward moved to sit next to me.

I scooted over to make room for him before turning my attention to the TV as Selina turned it on and flipped over to the News. She just caught the report on what had happened last night; the apparently had been talking about it for a while now, and we were only catching the tail end.

Vicky Vale, the usual News reporter, was standing outside the desecrated bank giving her report.

"— knows why the Rouges attacked this bank," she was saying, "certainly no the usual stuff we see. Reports say that Catwoman and The Scarecrow were seen at the scene of the crime, as well as a possible new Rouge that no one has ever seen before."

"I-it was scary," a man said, and I recognized him immediately as the one whose phone I'd broken.

"I'd never had any contact with the Rouges before, and to run into one that I'd never heard of? Terrifying. At least I know what Catwoman and The Scarecrow are capable of based on reports."

The man, whose name was apparently Dale Leonard according to the News, shifted from foot to foot and was sweating profusely.

"The unknown can be quite scary," Vicky said gravely and the camera switched back to her.

"It's not just the unknown," Jon mumbled.

Selina shushed him and turned back to the TV.

Vicky was in the process of interviewing another civilian, one who'd not been a witness to the crime.

"What do you think after hearing about last night's crime?" She asked an elderly woman whose name was listed as Ester Murray.

"Oh, it was just horrendous," Ester did, putting a hand over her heart. "From what I've heard, this new Rouge is a young girl, no older than my grandson. It's awful to see such bright minds take the wrong path in life. I bet that poor girls parents just didn't care about her."

My eye twitched as I heard her words. That wasn't the reason, why would it be? I'd been kidnapped, I didn't choose to commit a crime, though I also wasn't forced to. Edward and Theo there would've expected my choice if I had said that I didn't want to do it, it still, why had I done it? Was it to prove a point? And if so, to who?

"She doesn't know what she's saying," Edward said, patting my arm. "Don't worry about it. Those simpletons will never know the full story, they can't. They're minds are so closed off that they refuse to see both sides. They only see what they want to see. They can only understand what their minds will allow them to."

I nodded absentmindedly and picked up a small stone statue of a bear that was standing on the end table. I turned it over in my hands and thought about how weird it was for people to talk about me without them knowing it was me. The News would have a field day if they ever found out.

"What does this new Rouge mean, and what does this entail for the city of Gotham?" Vicky asked, to no one in particular. The camera then switched back to the News anchor, in the studio.

"Thank you, Vicky," he said, "those Rouges certainly make Gotham an interesting and dangerous place to live."

"Of course it does," Jon said with a snort.

"There still had been no news on the whereabouts of the recently kidnapped Ridley Wayne." The News anchor shuffled some papers around. "The 18 year old adopted daughter of Bruce Wayne has had some questionable—"

 _Turn it off_ , I signed, _please. I don't— I don't want to hear anymore._

"Selina," Edward said, "can you turn it off? Ridley doesn't want to—"

"No way are we going to turn this off," Jon said, snatching the remote from Selina's hands.

"Jon!" Selina said, "give it back!"

"No!" Jon said, using his long limbs to his advantage and holding the remote out of Selina's reach.

"Jonathan!" Edward said harshly as I curled up and rocked back and forth on the couch. "Either give it to Selina or turn the damned TV off!"

"I thought you'd be all for finding out more about her!" Jon said.

"Under different circumstances, yes!" Edward said, half rising out of his seat. "But not like this! Not when Ridley clearly doesn't want to!"

"She's gotta face her fears some how!" Jon said with a maniacal laugh. "Come on, Eddie! Haven't you said that 'the best way to overcome your fear is by facing it.'? What's there to be afraid of? A few idiotic people that don't know what they're talking about? That's not true fear!"

"Of course they're idiots!" Edward said sitting back down. "Most of Gotham— Argh! Stop changing the subject!" He shook his head to clear it.

"I wasn't the one to change the subject, you were!" Jon said, or was it Scarecrow now? "I was merely pointing out a fact!"

"Facts aside," Selina said, "I really think that we—"

"You want to talk about 'true fear'?" Edward shouted, interrupting Selina. "Why don't we talk about you and—"

"Don't you DARE say anything about Georgia!" Scarecrow said with a roar.

"Both of you need to stop it now!" Selina said, eyes flashing in anger.

"Shut up!" Edward and Scarecrow both yelled.

"Don't you dare tell me to shut up!"

My attention caught on what was on the TV, and against my better judgement, I tuned out the yelling to listen to what they were saying on the News.

"—here with a few of Ridley's classmates who've agreed to speak with us," the News anchor was saying. The camera panned over to Kyle and one of his friends, Gale, if I remembered correctly.

 _'Well this is just great,'_ I thought.

"So what can you tell us about Ridley, Mr. Duncan?" And interviewer asked Kyle.

Kyle physically puffed up before speaking. "I don't know a lot about her," he admitted, "but from what I've heard, she was a very troubled person."

"How so?" The interviewer asked, tilting their head slightly.

"It's not appropriate for me to say on television," Kyle said, "but—" he mimed cutting his wrists.

The interviewed face twitched and she nodded in understanding. "I see. And did you ever try to help Ridley with her, ah, problems?"

"I did try to once," Kyle said, face turning somber.

 _'Liar! You were the one that harassed me!'_

Something crashed to the ground behind me, but I paid no attention.

"I tried to help," Kyle repeated, grief filling his eyes. The camera zoomed in in his face and I scowled in disgust. What a faker!

"Instead, I got yelled at by one of her 'friends'," he made air quotes, "he was her only friend really."

"Are you referring to Maxwell Knight?" the interviewer asked.

"Yes," Kyle said, before taking a deep breath, "though everyone knows him as Max at school. Have you talked to him about all of this?"

"Maxwell Knight disappeared two days after Ridley's kidnapping," the interviewer said, and Kyle's eyes widened.

Max? Disappeared? What the heck? What was he— Where'd he go? Edward, Jon and Selina didn't do anything to him and not tell me, did they? It was very possible that Jon could've used him in his sxperiments, but wouldn't I have heard or noticed something? What was going on?

"Do you believe that Mr. Knight could have anything to do with Ridley's kidnapping?"

"I fully believe it," Kyle said firmly. "Max was oddly loyal to Ridley and loved talking about the Rouges. He did a project on them once I believe."

' _Yeah, so we would learn about what they were like and how they went about their business_.' I thought as I recalled that presentation. Max had done a good job of getting his facts straight with that ine. How each Rouge came to be, their first major cime, number of times they'd been shut away in Arkham... I'd helped him of course.

"Well, you'll be comforted that the police are on the look out for both Ridley Wayne and Maxwell Kinght," the interviewer said.

"I have one last thing to say," Kyle said.

Uh oh.

"I'd like to actually personally say a 'Fuck you' to the Rouges that took Ridley way from me. I was going to ask her to Prom, you know."

The fuck he was!

The interviewed eyes filled with pity and she shook her head in sympathy, "Such a sad thing! If the police do find and rescue her, would you still ask her out?"

"Only if they didn't defile her like the do to other people," Kyle said bluntly, "I mean who wants—"

Before I realized what had happened, I was on my feet and the little stone statue was out of my hand, flying towards the TV. It hit the screen with a _Crack!_ sending a spiderweb of cracks across its surface.

The chaos behind me froze as the TV glitches and then turned black with a faint sound.

Edward tentatively let go of Jon and asked, "Ridley?"


	38. 【38】

"Ridley?" Edward asked again, stepping towards me. Apparently the others had moved around while I'd been engrossed in the TV.

 _I'm fine_ , I signed, hands shaking slightly. My whole body was shaking, and I sat down heavily before I fell over. _I just— I didn't— I'm sorry about—_

My words tripped over and blended into themselves, falling from my hands as I signed. I doubted I was making much sense based off of the odd look Jon was giving me, but Edward seemed to get the gist of things.

"Don't worry about the TV," he said, sitting next to me, "it's not an issue. What is an issue, is you."

 _I don't know what came over me_ , I signed, _I don't usually— I mean— I'm not sure if I—_

Edward placed his hands over my own, a movement that wordlessly told me to stop.

"It's ok," he said firmly, squeezing my hands.

"You shouldn't let your anger build up like that," Jon said.

"Stay out of this, Jon," Edward said, shooting the other man a glare. "This is your fault after all."

"My fault?" Jon said, eyes narrowing. "My fault!? Do tell me how this was my fault! I'd love to know."

"If you don't have anything nice to say, get out," Edward spat, eyes flashing in warning. "Selina has already removed herself, so why don't you do that as well?"

I twisted around to find that he'd spoken the truth. Selina must've slipped out either during Edward and Jon's fighting because she finally got fed up with it, or when I threw the stone figure at the TV. A gnawing sense of gilt crawled through me and I tried to stifle it. I'd never had an outburst like that before...

"You can't tell me what to do," Jon said, voice tightly controlled, though it was slipping. I could hear it, and I knew Edward could as well. It was already a delicate situation, there was no need to make it worse.

"Either you get out, or we leave," Edward said firmly.

"Why don't you?" Jon snapped back. "At least that way I don't have to look at your pathetic face."

"And here I thought you liked looking at my face," Edward said, rolling his eyes.

"I—" Jon gave him an outraged look before stomping out the room.

"Works every time," Edward said to me with a wink.

"I can still hear you!" Jon yelled.

"Don't listen then!" Edward yelled back before focusing back on me.

"I'm sorry about that," he said, "Jon can be a bit insensitive."

I nodded, unable to respond due to his hands still holding my own. I pulled my hands from his grasp when I realized this and felt heat creep up my face.

Edward chuckled slightly and gave me a small smile, "What happened? One moment you seemed completely fine, and then the next..." he trailed off.

 _I don't know, I signed, I've never acted out like this. Not even around—_

I faltered for a second before continuing.

 _Not even around Bruce. I always was polite and Bruce had often coat things out of me, especially if it revolved around the kids at school being mean to me. I think, that hearing and seeing some of those kids on the News just now, just kinda snapped something inside of me, you know? Like I'd seen and heard enough and just wanted it to stop._

Edward nodded in understanding, a thoughtful look on his face.

 _And even when I did tell him about the things that happened, he wouldn't do anything about them! It was always the same excuse: '_ The News would have a field day if they found out about it, and I can't have anything worse happen to you _'._

 _Like I know that he cared about me, but sometimes it felt like he didn't. Always being over protective when I knew that I could take care of myself. I just kind of wished that he was more, I don't know... He wasn't exactly strict with me, quite the opposite, I think it was more like he was too..._

"Punctilious?" Edward offered.

 _I have no clue as to what that means_ , I signed with a frown. _I was going to say overly concerned. He doesn't understand that I—_

"That you what?" Edward asked, tilting his head slightly.

 _He's just so content with it,_ I sign, not really sure how to word it. It was more feeling that word, especially since I myself were just coming to realize it.

 _He's content with_ not knowing _. Not knowing about me, not knowing about what life was like_ before _._

"Before...?" Edward bit his lip.

 _My past!_ I signed, _I want to know so much, and at the same time I don't. You wouldn't understand it; what I want. What I_ need.

"Try me," Edward said, "explain it. You might be surprised with what I know."

 _Even I don't know!_ I threw my hands up before bringing them down, _I want to know the things I can't remember but, if I find out, will it make thing better? Or will it make it worse? Sometimes I think that I can't remember because my own mind is protecting me from something. I know what it is, I read up on the possible psychological impacts that my past might have on me. What... What Zsasz did to me._

 _I think— I think that it's selective mutism, but I'm not sure. S-M,_ I spelled out the word, _is a form of Social Anxiety, but I don't_ have _Social Anxiety, at least not that I'm aware of. It's the trauma of what happened I think, that's what might've caused it. No, I'm certain that is what caused it._

 _W_ ords were spilling through my fingers now, the gestures becoming more wild as time went on.

 _I read a book once,_ Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, _it was a about a little boy who lost his father in a terrorist attack, but that's not what I'm talking about. One of the side characters, the boys grandfather, was like me; mute because of trauma. It was the bombing of Dresden that caused his muteness, as well as the loss of the one he loved. And while I wasn't in a bombing, or a war, something just as terrible happened to me._

I rubbed my arms self conscious, feeling the bumps and lines of the scars I had.

 _I don't want to say that it's PTSD, not like there's anything_ wrong _with it, cause there's not. I'm just worried that if I go after what I want, it'll be too much._

"And what do you want?" Edward asked in a soft voice. His eyes sparked with something akin to pity, and I suddenly hated him for it. I didn't want anyone of pity me, I want someone to _understand_ me.

 _What I want, is something that I cannot easily attain. I want my memories back; every last one of them. I don't care about how much they hurt, I don't care about how much the make me bleed. My memories are the only things that could remind me of what I lost, and yet, I've lost those too._

 _I don't get it, why me? What did I ever do? Nothing, at least from what I can remember, and that's the thing, I_ can't _remember. No matter how hard I try, I just_ can't. _It's killing me._

 _So manny times I wonder, what were my parents like? What did they do for a living? Where did we live? It must've been in Gotham, but what else? Did I have any siblings? A sister? A brother? Did I have any friends?_

 _I know that people can't easily remember their childhood anyways, but everyone remembers their parents. Even if it's just one little thing about them. I can't remember_ anything _. Nothing!_

I slammed my fists against Edward's chest and leaned against him, nog realizing that I was crying until my tears dripped onto his shirt.

Wordlessly, Edward pulled me into an awkward hug and rubbed my back.

"Shhh..." he muttered, "it's going to be alright. Everything's going to be fine."

And that was the thing, _nothing_ was alright. Nothing. A piece of me was missing, violated; would I ever get it back? The chances weren't in my favor.

"You know what?" Edward whispered to me. "I'll do everything in my power as the smartest being alive to help you regain your memories. I promise. And I never, ever, break my promises, ok?"

He pulled back so that he could look me in the face. He smiled grimly as he wiped a stray tear from my face.

"I will help you," he repeated, "and nothing will stop me, if regaining you memories is what you want," something flickered across his face while he spoke, "then I will be with you. Even if it kills me."

I lost it then, for what ever reason. With a huge shuddering sob, I flung y arms around his neck and carried into his shoulder, shoulders shaking.

Edward just held me, rubbing my back and muttering words into my ear. Eventually my crying died down and I pulled back, sniffling.

 _I'm sorry,_ I signed, staring at his white shirt, wet from my tears. _I'm not usually like this I don't know—_

"Most likely stress," Edward said, "it's no big deal. I don't mind."

 _Still._ I wiped my nose.

Edward sighed and pulled a Kleenex out of his pocket before handing it to me.

"Most people do really cry when they're sad," he said as I noisily blew my nose. "It's more out of frustration. Of course, There are a lot of different ways to letting out frustration. I, for one, quite enjoy crying as opposed to other forms."

Despite the emotional roller-coaster I was on, I still managed a glare.

Edward let out a heavy sigh, "I suppose that makes me sound like a sadist. What I mean is, I'm just glad that you're not like Jon. He's horrible, a real _dolor in asinum._ Latin for a pain in the ass," he added, seeing my confused look. "I honestly don't get him sometimes, ice almost given up on trying too. Human beings are so complex, don't you agree?"

 _Sure,_ I signed, blinking, suddenly feeling exhausted. I needed a comfort food right now. _Do you guys have any coconut fudge ice cream?_

"What?" Edward said with a startled look.

 _I know it weird, it's an acquired taste._

"I don't think— No, we don't have any."

 _Bummer._ My shoulders slumped.

"I do, however," Edward said before hesitating slightly, "I might know something that might help."

He got up and walked over to the TV cabinet and started to dig through it, looking for something.

"We'll have to watch it up in my room probably," he said as he searched. "I have a computer that's about the size of a flatsceen, had really no use for it until now. Thank goodness for the broken TV otherwise it might just sit up there for who knows how much longer. We'll finally be able to use it!

"Jon always nagged me about it, ' _What use to you have with a computer the size of a flatscreen_?' " Edward mimicked Jon. " ' _There's no practical use for something that thing, you wasted time stealing it_!' Pshh, I was saving it for something, and now I know what! Ah ha!"

He pulled out a DVD case before tossing it at me. Catching it in surprise, I glanced down at the cover. _The Phantom of the Opera at Royal Albert Hall._

 _The Phantom of the Opera?_ I raised an eyebrow.

"Well," Edward said, eyes darting away from me, "An— I mean a friend of mine, really liked it. Whenever she wasn't feeling well she watched it. While it may be a bit depressing, it's still really good."

I turned it over in my hands and noticed a set of initials on the back: _A.B._

Wondering who's it was, I looked up to ask Edward, but he was already halfway out of the room.

"You coming?" he asked, glancing back.

I nodded neoprene jumping to my feet. Eyes feeling slightly dry, I rubbed them as I followed Edward.

 _Why do you think a movie might help me feel better?_ I signed, walking next to him as we climbed up the stairs and reached the second landing. _Movies and ice cream have nothing to do with each other. At least not in the literal sense._

"Or do they?" Edward asked cryptically. There was a touch of sadness to his voice, something I'd never heard before.

"Why is a raven like a writing desk?" he asked suddenly.

 _Because it can produce a few notes, though they are very flat; and it is N-E-V-A-R put with the wrong end in front,_ I replied automatically _. Lewis Carroll._ Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. _The Hatters famous riddle that never went answered until people asked the author for it. What's your point?_

"There's is no point," Edward said absentmindely, opening his bedroom door. I followed him and briefly wondered if I should keep the door opens of not before deciding to shut it. Something told me that Jon did not take kindly to opera.

"The riddle actually was intended to have no answer. It's quite a conundrum."

 _No answer? Is that even possible?_

 _"_ Lots of things don't have answers to them," Edward said, taking the DVD a as I handed it to him. "Death is one of those things. We know of it, but, what happens when we die? Where do we go? Another one is loss. Why do people leave us? Be they dead or alive. We don't know, and the other person might not know either. But it still happens, and there's nothing we can do to stop it."

A muscle twitched on his jaw as he stared at the cover of the DVD. He had such a miserable look on his face that I wonder who had left him. Obviously someone had, he wouldn't have been talking about it if someone didn't. Could it've been the person who's initials were on the DVD? A.B.?

Edward shook himself and glanced at me with a small grin, "Shall we watch it?"


	39. 【39】

**Edward's P.O.V.**

Feeling slightly rattled from what had happened, it took me a while to successfully hook the DVD player to the computer and to put the DVD in said player. It wasn't what Ridley had said that caused how I was acting, but rather something quite the opposite. It's funny how the smallest, most insignificant things are what have the biggest impacts on our lives.

Ridley may have lost her memories, but she was still unconsciously drawing on them. Her taste for coconut and fudge ice cream was proof of that. I only knew one other person that had the same taste for it, and that was why I was certain that Ridley would also like the movie.

After starting the movie, I sat down next to Ridley on the couch and much to my surprise, she leaned against me, red-rimmed eyes focused on the screen. I wondered how she'd feel once she got her memories back, if was even possible for her to. That'd be something that Jon might know more about, maybe I should ask him about it.

I would say that it wouldn't be possible unless something shocked her system as badly as the time that she'd lost her memories, and her voice. They two were definitely connected, that was for certain. There was no way that I would subject Ridley to going through anything that remotely came close to what she'd gone through in the past, I'd have to find some other way.

My eyes strayed from the screen as I studied a spot on the wall next to it. I'd taken a gamble with promising to help her, and I thought about how she'd react once she found out. Would hse hate me? Not just for the possibility of her having to go through things again. She might, and that bothered me. I didn't want her to hate me, that wasn't even close. Then again, nobody wants another person to hate them, especially if you're close to them. Maybe I shouldn't have promised to help her, it'd just cause too much grief on both ends.

Shifting, I moved my arm before it fell asleep and put it around her shoulders. Her hair was a bit too short for my liking, and the job that Harley did with dying her hair was even worse.

Still not paying attention, I turned my gaze to a nearby surveillance feed that showed part of the ground around the warehouse. Squinting slightly, I realized that for whatever reason, Jon was going out into the city. Selina had told me that he'd gone out once before, and I'd assumed that it was to get more supplies. I kept note of all our transactions though, and Jon didn't mention anything to me about getting anything from the city. Even if he was in the most foulest of moods, he told me. He knew about how important it was.

An unsettling feeling went through me as I watched him drive away, just what was he up to? The notion of him possibly liking me did not escape my mind, in fact, it quite often occupied it despite my wishes. A man's mind was wholly he own, and to have it disregard what you wanted was fairly annoying. I had decided to treat him no differently than I had before, why would I? Jon could be who ever he wanted to be, I would respect that. The only thing I was worried about was when and if, he'd make his move.

I was pulled out if my thoughts when Ridley poked me in the ribs. She nodded towards the screen and I turned back to watch it. The familiar tune of the main title drifted through the air and I watched as the Phantom led Christine to his secret lair.

 _ **Sing once again with me,**_

 _ **our strange duet.**_

 _ **My power over you**_

 _ **grows stronger yet.**_

Anna had always liked this scene, though I never tried to understand why. Maybe she liked it for no particular reason, she'd certainly never told me why, though I could guess. In another time and place, she would've said that she pitied the Phantom.

"It's not his fault he's the bad guy," she'd said, knees drawn up, sipping a cup of tea. "He can't help but love her. He's not evil, just misunderstood. Most 'bad' guys are."

Sitting there with Ridley, I thought about that. Not evil, just misunderstood. Over time, I'd realized that to be true, especially when it came to those I consorted with. It was a fine line though, between the two. The Joker of instance, he just did things because he could do them, there was no other reason of his crimes than to cause as much strife ad chaos as possible.

Jon, though as much as I'd not like to admit it, was the same way. Sure he did it because of "research", but I've been around him long enough to know that he got some sick pleasure out of what he did. Deep down, that's what kept him going. Not the research, not because he had to prove something, but because he liked doing.

The term "evil" was as subjective as the people that were called that. Where then, did Ridley stand on it? Certainly her morales were higher than some of us, but not high enough to flat out refuse robbing a bank, or even being around us. The lines were never clean cut though, it was in between the shades of gray where most things happened.

We stayed like that for a while, silently watching the movie, the sound of opera filling the air. At some point, Ridley fell asleep out of sheer exhaustion, leaving me to myself and my thoughts.

Hearing the door open sometime later, I twisted around making sure not to disturb Ridley, and saw Jon standing in the door way.

"What's that god awful noise?" He asked, leaning against the door frame.

"It's not awful," I said, "it's opera."

"Well, why are you watching opera of all things?"

"Ridley as I were watching it," I said, "and I decided it was better to watch it up here because the TV downstairs is still broken."

"Yes," Jon said with disdain, a disapproving look almost too fast for me to catch, flashed across his face.

Silence fell between us, only occupied by the sound from the movie.

 _ **Eye of gold, true is false**_

"Where'd you run off too?" I asked, standing up, careful to not disturb Ridley in the process.

"How'd you even know I was gone?" Jon said, giving me an appraising look as I approached.

"You weren't exactly covert," I said with a shrug. "I saw it on one of the surveillance cameras surrounding the area. So what were you up to?"

"Does it matter?" Jon asked with an equal shrug. "It was nothing."

 _ **Masquerade, seething shadows breathing lies**_

"If it was nothing then," I paused, "never mind. I don't know why I have to police you."

 _ **Masquerade, you can fool any friend who ever knew you**_

"I could ask the same thing," Jon said, "it's a very good question. I think your problem is that you need to know _everything_ so it makes you an annoying, pushy, and quite nosy, person."

"It least I know that those are my worst qualities," I said, "you have too many to count."

"You don't know everything though," Jon said, "nor will you ever."

"I know enough," I said, crossing my arms.

"Is it though?" Jon tilted his head.

"I don't have time for this," I said with a slight scowl.

"I don't either," Jon said in a bored voice.

"Then why'd you come up here?"

"I ran into Harley while I was," Jon hesitated, "out. She wanted me to give this to Ridley."

He withdrew a singular playing card, and handed it over to me. Flipping it over, I scanned the back of it.

"She's invited Ridley and Selina for a girls night out with Ivy and her two nights from now."

"Thank you," I said, "I can read."

"I still thought I'd tell you."

"Well, you don't have to."

"Are you going to let her go?" Jon asked, annoyed.

"I'm not the one that makes her decisions," I said, pocketing the invitation. "I'll tell her about it and leave her to make the choice to go or not. I'm sure that Harley will arrive either way."

"You're right in that," Jon said with a nod.

"Of course I am," I said smugly. "I'm the smartest person in the world."

"Keep telling yourself that," Jon said, patting my shoulder, "we both know that's not true. It if was, you'd know where I had gone." He smirked at me before leaving.

What was this world coming to? Minor arguments, no insults, was Jon feeling ok? He was acting like he had been last time he'd left unannounced; cheerful. Now obviously Jon was entitled to feel cheerful, but it still was a bit odd, especially since his general attitude had been deteriorating since Ridley arrived.

 _ **What raging fire**_

 _ **shall flood the soul?**_

 _ **What rich desire**_

 _ **unlocks its door?**_

 _ **What sweet seduction**_

 _ **lies before us?**_

 _ **Past the point of no return...**_


	40. 【40】

**Ridley's P.O.V.**

For the second time, I found myself waking up in Edward's room. At least this time I was on the couch and not in his bed. That had been interesting in its own way.

Sitting up with a stretch, I rubbed my eyes and heard the faint sound of the shower running. Great, I had to wait here until he was done. Well, I didn't have to, I was free to leave of course, but I had to properly apologize and thank him.

I stared at my reflection in the expanse of the screen in front of me. Only Edward would have something as ridiculous as a computer the size of a flatscreen TV. I wondered how I hadn't noticed it earlier, it was quite the monstrosity.

I was disappointed that I had slept through the last part of the movie, I had surprisingly enjoyed it; for an opera. I had to feel bad for the Phantom though, even if I missed the end of the film, I could pretty much guess how things ended up. He probably expressed his love and then got rejected. That's how things normally happened, right?

I heard the water shut off then, and a few moments later Edward came out wearing a t-shirt and sweats. The bad thing was, well, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing, he looked good. He looked so _normal_ , it was a change, but a nice one.

"You're staring," Edward said with a smirk, "again."

 _What do you mean, "again"?_ I signed, narrowing my eyes slightly. _I though that you liked having people stare at you._

"You make me sound like a narcissist," Edward said with a frown.

 _Aren't you? Always saying that you're the smartest human being on the planet? Sounds like narcissism to me, with a touch of insecurity._

"Now you're just being mean." Edward pouted slightly and I rolled my eyes.

 _It's called honesty, Edward. There's nothing wrong with that._

"Jon came in while you were asleep," he said, pushing his damp hair out of his face.

 _I'm surprised that I didn't wake up with all the arguing that must've happened,_ I signed.

Edward chewed his lip before responding, "We actually didn't really argue, it was weird."

 _Only a weird person would say that it'd be odd to not argue 24/7 with someone._

"I'm not weird!" Edward said indignantly. "All I'm saying is that because we argue so much, it feels like we're lacking something when we don't! We've gotten so used to it after all."

 _Basically you're like an old married couple then,_ I sign with a slight smirk. _If you're not arguing all the time or not around each other enough you feel lonely._

"That's not true!" Edward said as he leaned against the back of the couch.

 _Sure it isn't,_ I signed, getting into it now. _It's really kind of cute the way you two act towards each other._

 _"_ Ridley!" Edward practically whined, "stop it!" He face was flushed slightly and his eyes focused on something behind me.

 _Is the poor, confident, and all knowing Riddler_ whining _about something?_ My eyes widened in mock surprise.

"Ridley!" Edward said, voice sharpening.

 _Fine,_ I signed with a huff of annoyance, _have it your way, party pooper._

"Anyway," Edward said stiffly, "Jon just wanted to tell me that he ran into Harley when he was out. Apparently she has invited both you and Selina to a girls night out."

 _Not tonight, I hope._

"No," Edward said, straightening his glasses, "not tonight. It'll be two nights from now, so on Friday."

 _I see._ I pondered the idea of a girls night out. _Do you know what we'll be doing?_

"Nope," Edward said with a frown. I could tell he didn't like the idea of not knowing. "It's hard to tell with Harley and Joker, they ah, what's the term? Wing it? They usually have a general idea of what they want to happen and then just go with it. Very chaotic, unless of course, it's a large scale crime; then they actually plan things out. 90% of the time though, they don't."

 _Sounds dangerous,_ I observed, _what are your thoughts on it?_

"It's completely up to you," Edward said, standing back up. "I personally would be careful, it is Harley Quinn we're talking about, as well as Poison Ivy."

 _Poison Ivy's not_ that _bad though, is she?_ I asked with mild concern.

"Pamela is pleasant enough," Edward said, "she just gets on Jon's nerves, _a lot_."

 _More than you? I find that hard to believe._ I gave him a skeptical look.

"And just now you were saying that _I_ talk too much about myself," Edward said with a coy smile. "You talk a lot about me too."

 _Shut up and tell me why Jon doesn't like Poison Ivy,_ I sign, rolling my eyes.

"I think it's because Jon can absolutely not stand someone being immune to his Fear Toxin." Edward smirked as a glint appeared in his eyes. "I love to tease him about it. That's why we never talk about her. Pamela doesn't exactly like Jon either, so it's a win win for both of them to not have anything to do with each other."

 _But didn't they have to be around each other when you, uh, kidnapped me?_

"Well, Pamela was only there because Harley wanted her to be. Harley was quite excited when she found out and wanted a piece of the action."

 _I don't know if I should be flattered or concerned about her interest in me._ I stood up and walked around the couch to stand next to him.

Edward looked down at me and regarded me for a second, "I wouldn't be too worried about it if I were you."

 _I suppose you have a point. Question is though, why do_ you _have an interest in me? Like I know you said that you wanted me to be like one of you, but what caused the interest in the first place?_ I gave him a questioning look.

"Who isn't interested in Bruce Wayne's daughter? Adopted it not, you're a point of interest to those living in Gotham."

 _Jee thanks for reminding me._ I shoved him and he stumbled backward slightly before regaining his balance.

"What was that for?" he complained, "I was just telling the truth!"

 _I know,_ I signed, _but I already know that. If you're going to tell people things, make sure it's stuff that they don't know about yet. That way, it makes the other person interested, and not bored._

"Sound advice," Edward said thoughtfully. "Do you think that'd work on Jon?"

 _Why are you wondering about that?_

"No reason," Edward said, waving a hand dismissively, "just a thought."

 _If you say so._ I shrugged before walking towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Edward asked, moving towards me, slightly alarmed.

 _Out,_ I signed, turning around. _I should probably tell Selina about Friday, if Jon hasn't already. Why, what did you think I was going to do?_

"I was- never mind." Edward swallowed and dropped the hand that he'd reached out. "I just thought that- it doesn't matter." He shook his head.

 _Now you've got me interested,_ I signed, tilting my head. _What's gotten you all worked up? I ask about what you're talking about when it comes to Jon and you get all..._ I waved a hand towards him.

"I get all what?" Edward asked wearily.

 _Well, I guess it doesn't matter,_ I signed with a shrug. _I'm going to go and tell Selina about the invitation. She'll probably be interested, don't you think?_

Edward gave a short nod and I walked out, leaving the door open behind me.

 ***Friday***

Selina had been more interested than I thought about a girls night out with Harley and Poison Ivy. Apparently she was getting sick of having to baby sit Edward and Jon 24/7 and needed a break.

Now Friday night, we were getting ready to meet up with them at Harley and Jokers current hideout.

"Do you have everything that you need?" Selina asked, glancing over at me.

We whee standing in the entryway of the warehouse, double checking that stuff that we may and may not need.

"How is she supposed to know what she needs if Harley didn't even say what she wanted to do tonight?" Jon asked in a bored voice as he leaned against the doorframe leading into the living room.

It hadn't taken very long for them to replace the TV, thankfully. I was glad for that, even if both of then had been originally stolen.

"That's a good point," Selina said leaning down and digging through a small bag by her side. "It's hard to tell with her. I think we should just bring the important things and hope for the best." She stood back up and scratched her head. "I'm surprised that Edward isn't down here fussing."

"What about me?" Edward asked, coming out of the kitchen.

"Nothing," Selina said, "just wondering where you were. I have something to tell both of you."

She made eye contact with Edward and the Jon before continuing, "I don't want to come back here to find this place in ruins, or God forbid, both of you in Arkham for doing something stupid. If you do, I'll personally come after you and kill you; am I clear?"

"Yes, mother," Jon said rolling his eyes. "Is there anything else?"

"Yes, actually," Selina said, "don't kill each other. Please?"

"Not even a little bit?" Jon asked. "A little death is good you know."

"Absolutely not," Selina said, "I don't think Edward would like you killing him. Not even if it's a little bit."

"I quite like my life, thank you very much," Edward added.

"Fine," Jon grumbled before disappearing into the living room.

 _How can you kill someone 'a little bit'?_ I signed, frowning slightly. _It's quite counterintuitive._

"It doesn't matter," Selina said briskly, picking up her bag. "We should probably go now."

 _I'm still kinda unsure,_ I admitted, _I mean, is it safe?_

"Ok, first of all," Selina said, "why doubt your decision now? We said we'd go, so were going. Second, no, it's not safe in the slightest."

"I don't think you're doing anything to make her feel better," Edward said.

"It'll be alright though," Selina continued, glaring at Edward, "I'll be there, so you don't have to worry, ok?"

 _If you say so,_ I signed, still a bit unconvinced.

"It'll be fine," Edward said, "trust me."

 _I don't even trust myself sometimes,_ I sign, _so what makes you think that I can trust you?_

"You don't trust me?" Edward furrowed his brow.

 _No, I do trust you,_ I signed, _it's just, I don't know._ I shrugged before opening the door and leaving, Selina following from behind.


	41. 【41】

**A/N: This is the chapter that warned about in the beginning of the book. Once again, if you are uncomfortable with reading anything about Dub-Con (borderline non consensual sex) please feel free to skip this chapter. You'll pretty much be able to guess what happens. This scene does NOT contain any sex explicitly, only hints at that it will happen. I place this warning here because I know some people may still be uncomfortable with the idea.**

 **This isn't a physical type of Dub-Con, it is a mental type, FYI. If anything, it's a psychological picking apart of ones mind. Attacking them verbally to downsize them, make them feel weaker, smaller, and nearly destroy them mentally through words.**

 **Fascinating. Like the psychology aspect. Not the other stuff. Uhhh... *clears throat* Just read it I guess, or don't. *hums HOLD ME TIGHT, OR DON'T by Fall Out Boy***

 _ **Oh no no no this isn't how the story ends...**_

 **###**

 **Edwards P.O.V.**

I was sitting in my room keeping an eye on the cameras I had placed over the city so I could know if anything happened while Ridley was out. They'd left a few hours ago, and nothing had happened yet, but something most certainly will. I smiled slightly, Ridley had been so reluctant to go it was almost cute. I knew that no harm would come to her if Harley could help it, she was disturbingly attached to Ridley.

Switching to a set of cameras that overlooked one of the places that I knew Harley was fond of robbing, a small store that sold a variety of different brands of clothes and jewelry, I glanced up when I heard my door open.

"Don't you know how to knock?" I asked irritably, pushing up my glasses and turning around.

"You already know it's me, so why bother?" Jon said, shutting the door behind him.

"It common etiquette," I replied, crossing my arms.

"Like you know what that is," Jon said with a laugh. He wandered over to my bed and flopped down.

"Make yourself at home, don't you?" I mutter. "What do you want?"

"Well, I was wondering where Ridley went," Jon said, staring up at my ceiling.

"Why the sudden interest?" I asked suspiciously.

"I'm not interested," Jon said.

"But you just asked—"

"Yeah," Jon interrupted, "because every time she's off doing something, you're up here sulking."

"I'm not sulking," I retort.

"Then what do you call this?" Jon asked, sitting up and spreading his arms. "You've been stuck up here for hours, probably since she left, and you're also trying to figure out where she is at the moment."

"What makes you say that?" I said, getting defensive.

"I know your habits," Jon said, "they're not that hard to figure out and track."

"So why ask in the first place?"

"Why not?" Jon stood up and walks over to me. "Maybe it's because I'm trying to be nice. Maybe it's because I want to know for certain that she's gone."

"And why would you want to know that?" I ask, tilting my head up and biting my lip.

"Are you really asking that question?" Jon replied. "Ever since she came into our lives we haven't gotten proper time to be together."

"Whenever we do have time, we end up yelling at each other." I turn back around in my seat and focus on the screen again.

"Edward," Jon said. I could feel him hovering behind me as he reached over and turned my computer monitor off. I stared at both of our reflections as I just sat there. Jon moved his hand from the computer and placed it next to my own.

"Jon?" I ask uncertainly, what type of game was he playing? One that could easily figure out, no doubt.

"It's really interesting," Jon mused, "how you act in certain situations. Particularly ones like these. Tell me, have you noticed how needy you are?"

"I'm not needy," I said, but it was more to myself than to Jon. Was I though?

"Those are the lies you tell yourself," Jon purred. "Did you not think that I wouldn't notice? I am a psychologist after all."

"I'm well aware of that and could care less."

"Did you know," Jon said, voice hardening, "that I psychoanalyze people in my spare time?"

"You're a psychologist," I said, repeating what he'd just said, "of course you do."

"Well, if you know that, then you also know that what observations I make about you will most certainly be accurate."

"Are they now? Do tell me what mental illness I suffer from," I said sarcastically.

"Why would I?" Jon said with a grin, "when you can just guess? You do love a good puzzle after all."

"Not when they're about me," I said, shifting uncomfortably at Jon's closeness. Was it just me or was he inching closer? "It's like a joke, it's only funny or interesting when it's not about you."

"So you're not interested in learning more about yourself?"

"You're the narcissist, not me."

"Well, you're the one that's acting like a histrionic needy bastard," Jon said.

"Is that what it is now?" I asked, mildly interested.

"It's not that easy to figure out," Jon chuckled. "That's just a hint. Figure out the rest for yourself."

"I'm not needy," I repeated.

"Oh really?" Jon said, disbelievingly, "then how do you describe your attitude towards Anna?"

"You know nothing of that," I bit out, getting tired of this.

"I know enough that you craved her attention and followed her around to the point where she got sick of you and chose to go to a college far from Gotham."

"That's not true!" I flew to my feet and Jon stumbled backward to avoid a collision. "Take that back!" I rounded on him.

"Why would I?" Jon said smugly. "It's true, you just don't choose to see it."

"She went to Central City because they had a better degree program for her!" I protested. "Not because of me!"

"Regardless," Jon said, waving a hand, "you liked someone who was eight years older than you, while you were a kid, I might add. I have my theories about that."

"Please, enlighten me," I said dryly.

"I theorize that you liked Anna because she reminded you of someone you loved and lost," Jon said, "you mother."

"That's not-"

Jon held up a hand, "Let me finish. You're need to commit crimes and always be better than everyone else stems from how your father treated you. I imagine that a lot of your more personal problems come from the fact that you never got over the loss of your mother."

"Wh-what does my mother have to do with this?" I stiffen at his words. Why bring that up, of all things? I'd never once talked about her, simply because she had absolutely nothing to do with how I was now. I didn't want people thinking she did. My mother was wonderful, she loved me and encouraged my love for puzzles. My father on the other hand...

"You lost your mother at the age where you needed her the most." Jon eyes sparked with hunger, a hunger to figure out and lay bare who I was. I shuffled backward slightly, a bit nervous on where this was heading. "Having that happen to you must've been awful, yes? And without a mother, you latched onto the next acceptable person, a person who treated you similarly to how your mother treated you. That person was Anna, but then she left you too. Now where did that leave you? Desperate for any sort of affection and acknowledgement."

"Y-you're wrong," I said, voice wavering, "I don't-"

"Am I?" Jon raised an eyebrow. "Is that what you think? Is Don't you crave for someone to hold you, comfort you? Some who can pat you on the head and tell you that everything will be alright?"

He ran a hand up my arm and I shuddered involuntarily.

"You want someone who will never get tired of you, or leave you," Jon continued in a low voice. "Someone who you admire and respect, a person that you look up to. Not necessarily someone smarter than you, but someone who's intelligence level is worthy enough to warrant your attention. I have another question for you," Jon added before I could respond. "You know that I'm manipulating you, right?"

"O-of course I do," I said, running my tongue along my bottom lip. Jon traced the movement with his eyes before raising them to meet my own.

"Then why," he asked, "are you letting me? I don't think you want me to stop."

"W-what are you... I don't know what I- why?" I furrowed my brow, confused about what was going on and what I was feeling. I shouldn't be feeling anything towards Jon, and yet— yet— I somehow was. It was defined or clear, but I was definitely feeling something.

"You will do as I say," Jon said, striding up to me and gripping my upper arms so hard that I flinched. "You will do it because you can't help it and you know that there is nothing you can do to stop it."

"J-Jon, I-"

"What do you want, Edward?" Jon fixed his piercing gaze on me, a devilish smile on his face. He knew what I wanted, or at least what I thought I wanted, he was just wanted to hear me say it.

"I- I want... I need... help...?"

"Hmmmm..." Jon pondered what I said. "I suppose that will have to be enough. I'm in a lenient mood right now, lucky you."

Sure, I felt very lucky right now.

I let out a surprised yelp as Jon forcefully pulled me toward him, and I landed against his chest.

"Poor little Eddie," Jon crooned. No, not Jon. Only Scarecrow called me 'Eddie'. Things always ended up badly when Scarecrow was in charge; I shivered.

Scarecrow ran a hand up my back before grabbing my hair and pulling my head back and a malicious grin spread across his features.

"D-don't hurt me," I practically whispered.

How was it possible that he could strip me down until I ended up like this? A complete mess that could barely make rational thought. Psychologically breaking me to get what he wanted. It should've bothered me, like everything else, but who was I kidding? It wasn't, at least not as much as it should've.

"Only if you want me to," Scarecrow's smile widened. "It'll be just like when we work together, yes?" His grip tightened, "I will only do what you need me to do, nothing more and nothing less."

"Usually Jon's in control at those times," I mutter unhappily.

"Does it really matter?" Scarecrow inquired. "We're the same person."

"No, you're not." I tried to wriggle away from him but it was useless, that thin frame was deceptively strong. "Two different minds, yes, but the same person? No."

"Stop being disagreeable, Edward," Scarecrow snapped. He took a breath and I bit my lip.

"Don't you want me, Eddie?" His grin twisted into something sinister.

"W-what makes you s-say that?"

"You lost Anna, so you naturally became close to the first person you came into contact with that acknowledged your intelligence. That just so happened to be Jonny Boy." Scarecrow let out a bark of laughter.

"N-not true..." It was bad when Jon decided to psychoanalyze me, but when his other half did? That was worse, it meant more suffering.

"You like someone who mothers you, don't you, Eddie?" Scarecrow tilted his head. "You want someone who will constantly praise you, tell you 'You're such a good boy, Edward' and 'Mommy's so proud of you'."

"Th-that's wrong! Sick!" I said, horrified that he'd even say such a thing. Something like that... it was even above Scarecrows' level of creepiness.

"I wouldn't do anything like that, trust me." Scarecrow let out another dark chuckle.

Oh, the irony of 'trust' with him.

"But," Scarecrow said, hauling me up roughly so that we were as eye level, "why else would you want me? It's your neediness."

He gripped my chin between his thumb and forefinger, forcing me to meet his eyes. A smile crept across his face at my expression, "Your intelligence is your greatest asset and your greatest weakness. Aren't you tired of thinking all the time? Don't you want someone else to take the lead? You spend your whole life trying to find out everything there is to know in the world only to discover that it's impossible. Who will be there for you when that reality comes crashing down on you? You need control in your life to prevent it, but the problem is, it's out of your control and you know it."

"N-no..." I whined uselessly, "t-that's not- I don't need... anyone..."

"Shhhh," Jon said. Yes, Jon was most certainly back in control now, and I was oddly grateful for the fact. He brushed his thumb over my trembling lips, "it alright, I understand. You've been unintentionally leaning on me for all of this, did you know that?"

I shut my eyes tightly, not wanting to acknowledge it. I knew that Jon liked me, but I still didn't want to accept it. I didn't need anyone to "take care of me" and most certainly not Jon.

"You need someone to help keep you from self destructing..."

 _I- I don't need..._

"Someone you trust who will tell you everything will be alright..."

 _...need someone..._

"A special someone who will be impressed with your intelligence and not degrade you for it..."

 _...someone I..._

"A person who can grab your life by the horns and set things right. That's what you want, right Edward?"

 _...want..._

Jon released me and I opened my eyes and stared up at his face before freezing. The voice and mannerisms where Jon, but the face... that expression... was purely Scarecrow.

"See what you do?" Jon asked quietly, reading my expression. "You make me, truly me. No fighting with Scarecrow, we both want the same thing so we are going to work together to get it."

I didn't know what was worse, Jon and Scarecrow agreeing and working together on something, or the fact that Scarecrow wanted me as well as Jon. Both were pretty bad.

I let my gaze wander around my surroundings, desperate to look at anything but him. He was so tall though... my mind became fuzzy, making it hard to think. Thinking... for the first time I wondered what it'd be like not to, if just for a moment. No! I couldn't let myself go down that path, Jon was manipulating me, but damn, it was working well.

"I-I'm not sure a-about this... I-"

"Shut up Edward," Jon instructed.

"Don't tell me to-"

"I said, SHUT UP," Scarecrow yelled.

I shut up.

"Now then," Jon settled down, "you will do exactly what I say, but first you will answer my question."

He paused and waited for me to agree. I gave a stiff nod, only because I was hesitant about Scarecrow being in control. They may have agreed to work together, but that meant Scarecrow already had a solid foothold in Jon's conscious mind. That meant that it'd be easier for him to take control permanently.

"Alright then," Jon said with a satisfied smirk. He leaned forward so that his lips brushed my ear. "Tell me Edward, can you tango?"


	42. 【42】

**Ridley's P.O.V.**

I stumbled up the stairs heading to my room completely exhausted. The robbery itself hadn't been tiring, but rather being around Harley. Man, she talked a mile a minute and would not stop moving. She was always doing something and expected everyone else to as well. It was nice though, getting to know her and Ivy better. Ivy was quieter and laid back than Harley, obviously. I liked her a lot more and it was interesting to hear about how much she knew about plants.

Harley and Joker had both insisted that we eat before we went out, the most hospitality that they had ever shown before according to Selina. After a quick bite of some sort of mystery meat that I really didn't want to about, we had gone off.

Much to both Selina and I's annoyance, Harley didn't even tell us what we were going to do until we had gotten to the place. We were to rob a _clothing store_ of all places. When Selina had voiced her concerns (well she was fine with robbing the store, she just asked what else there was, go figure), Harley said that there was also plenty of jewelry in the store as well.

That's how I ended up dragging myself up the stairs carrying a bag full of clothes and clanking jewelry. I really wasn't interested in either, but Selina had pointed out that I probably needed new clothes. Now usually shopping, or rather, _robbing_ a Forever 21 store wasn't up my alley, but Harley had insisted that I take a few things that "would look absolutely amazing on me" and that was the end of the discussion.

"Ridley!" Selina called up the stairs, "Why don't you check in with Edward? I'm sure that he's still up and worrying about us."

I could do that, I supposed, she was probably right. It was kind of sweet how much Edward seemed to worry, and not just about me. Selina and Jon didn't realize what a great friend they had.

First going to my room, I dumped the stuff I was carrying at the foot of my bed before heading over to Edward's room. Deciding to be polite at first, I knocked and waited for an answer; nothing.

 _'Maybe he can't hear me',_ I thought and knocked again. No answer.

 _'Ok... Should I just open the door then? Maybe he so wrapped up in whatever he's doing he can't hear me knocking.'_

Grasping the door handle, I carefully and quietly opened the door. Peering into the darkened room, it took me a second for my eyes to adjust.

The faint glow coming from several of the computers allowed some visible light, casting the room itself in a soft glow. I scanned the computers, wondering if Edward was sitting at any; he wasn't. So where then...?

It was like a trail, I spied a stray sock on Edward's usually immaculately clean floor and followed the trail of clothes flung haphazardly around. What the heck?

Wait... Those were Jon's pants there, and Edward's shirt was there, and... Oh. _Oh._

My face flared with realization. Of course, something like this was bound to happen, Jon liked Edward after all. Maybe Edward realized that he also liked Jon, that could've been why he'd been acting weird when I talked to him. They must've ah, gotten together after we had left.

I quickly shut the door and stared at it for a moment before whirling around and heading for my room. Shutting my door behind me, I quickly changed out of my gear and pulled on some pajamas before flopping down on my bed.

How was I supposed to feel about this? I knew that I should've been happy for them, after all, they did finally acknowledge their feelings for each other. Maybe now the arguing would lessen, if not stop completely. That would be nice. At the same time, however, I feel a bit disappointed. I didn't really understand why, or where it came from. It's not like I cared, did I?

I most certainly didn't care about Jon, he'd been an ass to me this whole time. Then there was Edward. It was confusing with him for sure, one moment he was nice and thoughtful, then the next angry. Granted, it only happened that one time, but could it happen again? He was a Rouge, they were all unpredictable.

He was mostly sweet though, not that it mattered, I kept telling myself. I was not going to obtain a sense of Stockholm Syndrome; absolutely not. I wouldn't allow myself to. If I wasn't happy for them and didn't know if I liked Edward, then what was I feeling? I was feeling something obviously, maybe it was surprise I felt? I didn't exactly mean to walk in on whatever had happened...

The bed creaked as I rolled over and stared at the ceiling. I couldn't just act like I didn't see anything, which I didn't in that sense, but just the awkwardness of the whole situation was probably going to kill me. What was I supposed to do?

I closed my eyes and sighed. This was too much for one night. First the robbery and dealing with Harley, and then this... I couldn't think about it right now. I wasn't ignoring the situation fully, no, I'd figure out things later, just not right now.

Letting out a jaw cracking yawn, I decided that I would talk to Selina about it later. Yes, that seemed like a good idea, I would do that.


	43. 【43】

**A/N: Just another pleasant warning of the use of strong language in this chapter. :)**

 **###**

 **Jon's P.O.V.**

It took me awhile to wake up, and even longer for me to realize who I was in bed with. A slow grin crept across my face once I did though. Sitting up slowly, I rubbed my eyes a searched for my glasses. Thankfully they weren't too far away, just on the floor, halfway under the bed.

Grabbing them from off the floor,I fixed them on my face, before finally focusing on the sleeping form next to me. Edward was still out, his mouth set in a hard line. I marveled at the fact that he was still asleep, he was usually an early riser. It was understandable that he hadn't woken up yet though, all things considered. A shiver of realization and delight passed through me. Last night had been one the best moments of my life.

Edward rolled over with a grunt, causing the blanket to fall just enough so that his upper back was exposed. I winced slightly as I beheld the bite marks and bruises that peppered his otherwise pale skin. Feeling bad about it, I reminded myself that it was Scarecrow that had done those things.

 _'Liar,'_ Scarecrow scolded, _'you were the one that did it. And don't say that you didn't enjoy it too.'_

That wasn't a compete lie, I had to admit. Being with Edward in such away was everything I had dreamed of since I realized I wanted it.

 _'At least I wasn't the one that wanted to use Fear Toxin on him,'_ I told Scarecrow. It's taken all my willpower to not do such a thing, and it was particularly harder because I secretly did. I would do to Edward yet though, it would've been too much the first time-err, the first night? I felt my cheeks heat up and decided to not dwell too long on _that_ tidbit of information.

 _'That was pathetic,'_ Scarecrow growled, _'could you imagine how much more satisfying it would've been?'_

 _'While it may have been, would it have been necessary?'_

 _'Would it have had to be?'_ Scarecrow countered.

Edward had woken up while I'd been arguing with my other self, and was now staring at me through bleary eyes.

"Do you always stare at people until they wake up?" he asked sleepily.

"I'm not staring," I said, settling back down before leaning against his shoulder, "I'm admiring. Can I not do that?"

"Mmm..." Edward said as I ran my hand through his hair. It was impressively soft, like feathers. There was no way that he used any sort of hair products on it. Edward wriggled around, trying to get me off of his back.

"Get off," he whined.

"Why the complaining?" I asked, leaning more heavily against him. "You didn't seem to mind me like this last night."

Edward muttered something incomprehensible and buried his face in his pillow. I chuckled and withdrew, the sleepy brunette rolling over to face me.

"D-did that really happen?" he asked tentatively.

"Mmhmm." I grinned at him.

Edward groaned and his face flushed.

"This will often leave you tongue tied and red in the-"

"No riddles Edward," I said, stopping him, "we already established this. You talk too much. Do I need to shut you up again?"

A deeper shade if red bloomed on Edwards cheeks and he shook his head.

"I thought so," I said with a smirk.

"W-what time is it?" Edward asked.

"10:34," I said, glancing at the clock hanging on the wall, "why?"

"Well, Selina and Ridley should be back by now, unless things got too out of hand..."

I scowled at the mention of Ridley, he was supposed to stop talking about her by now. After everything we'd done, what _I'd_ done, he was still thinking of _her_.

 _'She'll be taken care of soon,'_ Scarecrow consoled, _'do not worry.'_

I grabbed Edward's arm as he made to get up, "I'm sure they're fine, just stay here, ok?"

"Well I—" Edward glanced at me and hesitated. "I guess I could..." He bit his lip and laid back down.

It was so disgustingly fascinating, this side of Edward's personality. Such pliancy from someone who was usually so confident and stubborn. Through some perverted feelings, I realized that I had become addicted to it; this part of his personality. Edward's insecurities were high enough to make the traits possible, just as his pride kept it rim going too far. It was a delicate balance, one that was easy to break if you knew how.

Maybe I could draw this out, it would be extremely selfish of me, and would put things in jeopardy, wasn't it worth it? Yes, I would postpone my plans another week or so. It'd be hard to convince them, but it was manageable if I played my cards right. I'd probably have to let the man know as soon as possible though for a better chance of changing the plan.

Throwing back the covers, I got up and pulled on my pants.

"Where are you going, Jon?" Edward asked, sitting up.

"Downstairs," I said vaguely, making my way to the door. "I'm going to saw if they're back yet."

"Maybe I should go With you," Edward said, voice filled with uncertainty.

"No," I said, turning to him, "you will stay here." I wouldn't be able to do what I hadn't given do if Edward was out and about. Better he stay here, out of the way.

Edward opened his mouth to protest, but I cut him off.

"Could you really face Ridely," I said, advancing on him, "knowing what a dirty thing you did?"

Edward's defiance turned to shame and I had to suppress a sneer. He stared down at his hands; at the sheets that were bunched up around his waist.

He wanted to give and see if Ridley was here himself, I knew he did. The only thing that was stopping him was me, and himself. In any other giving situation, Edward's sudden prudishness would've been humorous, but right now it was nearly pathetic.

"So you're just going to leave?" Edward asked, sounding hurt.

"What do you want me to do?" I asked, spreading my hands. Sheesh, it was like dealing with a child.

"Well, I don't want— I mean, I only—" he faltered.

"You only what?" I asked, stopping by the side of the bed and crossing my arms.

"I did it for you," Edward said helplessly, staring up at me. "For you," he repeated.

"What did you do for me?" I asked, a dangerous edge to my voice, not liking his tone.

"I know that you like me Jon,"Edward tried again.

"Wow, I would've never guessed that." I rolled my eyes in exasperation.

"You're not making this any easier," Edward said indignantly.

"Making what easier?"

"This." Edward waved a hand between us. "I mean," he hesitated, "I don't know how—"

"Just come out and tell me already!" I snapped, losing patience.

Edward flinched at my tone before speaking, "I only slept with you because I knew it was something you needed!" he gasped, his face twisting in both pain and fear. "You're my friend Jon, you always have been."

"Friend," I repeated, voice hollow, anger passing over into icy calm. "Is that what I am to you? A friend?" The last word came out a bite; unable to contain the bitterness. "Nothing more is it?"

Edward glanced down and muttered something incomprehensible.

"What did you just say?" I demanded, grabbing Edward's shoulder and pushing him against the bed frame.

"N-nothing!" Edward stuttered, eyes widening.

"Liar! I hissed, "What. Did. You. Say?"

"I-I didn't say anything of interest?" It came out as a question so I knew he was lying; again.

I tightened my grip on his shoulder, and he let out a whimper.

"I-I'll always be here for you," Edward said quietly, "you know that, right? A-and I'll do anything you need me to. Even if it's—" his gaze skirted my face before landing on his lap again. "Even if you need me to be, you know..."

He whispered the next part so quietly I almost didn't catch it.

My face flushed with anger and I, for once, was speechless. It didn't last long for my voice to come back to me.

"How _dare_ you," I snarled, "after everything? After everything we've been through together? You tell me that you want to be a f*cking _Dutch Wife_?"

"I-if that's what you need, then yes." Edward swallowed as a blush creeped over his face. "I n-now it's weird, b-but I thought that—"

"You obviously didn't think enough!" I snapped. "Who the hell says stuff like that?"

"I didn't know!" Edward protested. "I don't know how I feel about this! I mean, you're my friend and friends do things for each other."

"Friends are there to supporting each other," I roared, "not by being f*ck buddies!"

Edward visibly shrunk back from me, "I don't like _like_ you, I mean I— I-I thought that you—"

"Well you thought wrong," I said, lips curled back into a snarl. "Tell meX is this because of Ridley? She's not Anna for Gods sake!"

Edward's silence was all the answer I needed.

"You disgust me," I spat, releasing him and storming out, slamming the door behind me.

Entering my room, I dug through my dresser and threw on a sweater before forcefully opening my bedside tables drawer.

Picking up the phone I hit speed dial.

"Jonny!" Penguins voice came through after the first ring, "what a pleasant surpise. What can I do for you? Do you wish to cancel?"

"No," I said, tense, "in fact... Can we move it up?"

"How soon?"

"How does tonight sound?"

"Well..." I heard clinking and loud music in the background. "I suppose that would work," Penguin said, "things are already in place as we took the thought of you moving it up into consideration."

"Excellent," I said, mood brightening. "I'll see you later then."

"Oh, you won't see me," Penguin chuckled, "but you have my word that my people will be there."

"Thank you," I said, hanging up. It wasn't the best decision for me to do that, Penguin _always_ got the last word. I was too excited though, and my hands shook as I replaced the phone in the drawer and shut it.

 _'I told you patience was the key,'_ Scarecrow said.

"Yeah, well sometimes you really are annoying, do you know that?" I said aloud.

 _'Just be comforted to know that things will be taken care of soon,'_ Scarecrow said, sounding a bit miffed by my attitude.

"Couldn't happen soon enough," I muttered.

The plan was set into motion, sooner than I thought it would be. Edward had only himself to blame for this. He'd regret ever saying the things he did, and I would make sure he knew it.

 _'Yes,'_ Scarecrow chuckled, _'the problem that is Ridley Wayne will soon be dealt with, taken out with brutal efficiently.'_

"And so it shall," I whispered to the empty air. "So it shall."


	44. 【44】

**Ridley's P.O.V.**

I stared down at the piece of paper in front of me and rubbed my eyes.

After I had walked in on what ever had happened between Edward and Jon last night, it took me forever to go to sleep. I had managed to fall asleep, luckily, but I didn't wake up until at least 11:47.

Not wanting to have to deal with anything at that moment, I decided to do the one thing that is been putting off for a long while: figuring out what my life was before I had bee attacked and lost my memories.

I didn't have a lot to go off of, only what Barbara had told me, and what I experienced through the simulation, assuming that was reliable, which it probably was. I had started with what I knew, and now had a small list of things set before me.

 _\- I'm 18 years old and what happened to me was 12 years ago, putting me at age 6 of the attack._

This would compensate for what Bruce had told me, that:

 _\- Bruce rescued me after the attack when I was 6 and took me back to Wayne Manor to live with him._

This also was what Barbara had told me, albeit from a different view point. So the fact that my family had been attacked, and that I was the only survivor was cemented, along with the fact that Bruce saved and adopted me afterwards.

Another cemented fact was that:

 _\- Zsasz was the one behind the attack, though no one seems to know who employed him though there are some guesses._

I circled those facts in red pen, so I knew that those where important. Turning to the rest of my notes, I pondered on them.

Now in regards to that, Barbara was the only one who'd given me the slightest bit if information on who Zsasz's employer was. It had been different than anything else I had heard before, so it wasn't exactly trustworthy as evidence, but still needed to be considered.

 _\- Zsasz worked for Oswald Cobblepot, aka Penguin, and it was safe to assume that Penguin had been his employer for a long time._

 _\- Penguin presumably had a feud with Edward, that lead to a civil war between the Rouges._

 _\- Nobody knows what the two were feuding about. A lot of people don't even know what actually happened. The police didn't even have any idea. Scary._

 _\- they must've been fighting over my family, as Penguin sent Zsasz to kill them._

This looped back to what I knew to be true, but just because that was, didn't mean this was.

There were things that I had questions about though, and I had written them down carefully to make sure I got them right.

1) If we assume that Edward and Penguin were fighting over my family, then why?

Was it possible that my parents had something to do with the Rouges? Where they in cahoots with them? Anything was possible, but if I'd thought about it anymore I might've spiraled down the hole of no return, aka have an existential crisis.

If this was true, then that'd mean that my family had dealings with Edward as Penguin was the one that ordered them killed, and tried to kill me.

2) Was it possible that Penguin was in turn working for, or with, someone else besides Zsasz?

Everything that I heard about Penguin I could assume to be true, mainly because it came from Bruce, and he was one of the few people I trusted.

3) If all of this was true then a) why didn't Edward tell me, b) what was he hiding by doing so, and c) what was I going to do about it?

It was very well within my rights to ask him, that just didn't mean that he'd answer me. Whatever he was hiding, he had a reason for. I needed to know though. For the first time in my life, I had more information about my past than I ever had before, and I had access to the people that knew about it.

I did, admittingly, balk at the idea of outright asking Edward, especially right now. I mean, I knew that Edward would probably give me some excuse before he finally caved, and he most likely would. But... How could I even look at him right now with the secret that I now had? It wasn't out of disgust, no, Edward and Jon could do what they liked. It was more like embarrassment and confusion.

Emarrasment because of what is seen, and confusion because I didn't know how to feel about it. No, now wasn't the best time to ask Edward, definitely not. Then who could I talk to then?

I shuffled my papers around before stacking them in the corner of my desk. It was a pitiful small amount, maybe four or five pages front and back crammed with notes and general thoughts.

Tapping my pencil against the desk, I wondered. I'd feel most comfortable talking to Selina, but it was possible that she didn't know as much as I might think. I could ask Jon, but like Edward, I'd rather not. Plus, Jon hated me, but he probably knew Edward better than anyone else.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, I stood up and started to pace. This information was just too important to hold off on for any longer than I already had, but the options for gaining more was limited.

I'd ask Selina first, I decided, feeling more comfortable with the idea. If that doesn't work, or if she can't give me more information, then I guess that I'd have to ask Jon. Hopefully Selina would give me enough insight so I didn't have to do that.

Exiting my room, I slipped silently past Edward's room and down stairs. Poking my head into the kitchen, I didn't see Selina. Hmmm... Living room then? I checked; nothing. I began checking random rooms here and there, at least the ones that were open, several were locked tight.

I had just shut the door to some storage room when someone spoke behind me.

"What are you doing?"

Jumping slightly, I turned around so see Jon standing there in jeans and a sweater.

I shook my head, _nothing._

"Looking for something?" he asked, scrutinizing me.

 _Cat,_ I signed, not wanting to spell out Selina's name, although that might've been easier.

"Cat?" Jon asked, confused. "Oh, you mean Selina."

I nodded, not liking the way that he was looking at me. I shifted and stepped backwards slightly.

"She's out right now," Jon said, "why? Do you need help with anything?"

I hesitated. Yes, I needed help with something, but I was planning on asking Selina for help before I considered asking Jon. Selina wasn't here though...

 _Depends,_ I signed finally, _could you help me?_

"Depends on what you need help with," Jon said, crossing his arms. "Well?"

 _It's Edward,_ I signed carefully, _I think he might be hiding something about my past. Would you know anything about that?_

A look that I couldn't place flickered across Jon's face.

"Sure," he said, turning around, "follow me."

###

 **A/N: Hey guys! Sorry that this chapter was kind of an info dump... I felt like it was kind of needed. Anyways, what do you think of the story so far? Is it good? Do you like it?**

 **Don't forget to drop a vote or comment! Both are appreciated. ^.^**


	45. 【45】

**Jon's P.O.V.**

It was hard to hold in the smirk that was threatening to appear. Everything was fitting into place beautifully. I didn't even have to worry about making Ridley suspicious if my motives by asking her if she wanted to know more about her past; she came to me.

Walking into my lab, I offered Ridley a chair and was quite annoyed when she ignored it and decided to sit on the nearby table. It was going to take me a while to clean it now.

"So," I said, leaning against the table across from her, "what can I do for you?"

A flicker of annoyance crossed Ridleys face, _I told you,_ she signed, _I want information about my past._

 _'Oh, this'll be good. What are you going to tell her, Jonny Boy?'_ Scarecrow asked with a chuckle.

 _'Let me handle this,'_ I reply, _'I promise you'll get to do the dirty work later, ok?'_

 _'You're no fun,'_ Scarecrow said, but remained quiet after that.

"What makes you think I'll have the answers?" I ask Ridley, crossing my arms.

Ridley hesitated before answering me, _Well, you're Edward's best friend so I figured that he might've told you some things._

That blasted word again, _friend_. Like it was such a carefree thing. More of a constraint than anything else. Friends were just people that got close to you only to hurt and leave you in the end; something that I was just now starting to realize.

"Edward's told me a lot of things," I said carefully, not to lose my grip on my emotions. It wouldn't be good to lose it in front of Ridley. "What is it about your past that you'd like to know?"

 _Umm, everything?_ Ridley gave me a sheepish look.

"That's a lot of information," I said, "a lot that I don't even know."

 _Then what do you know?_ Ridley asked anxiously. She swung her legs a bit and wrung her hands together.

"Well, would it help you to know that Edward knew your parents?"

Ridley's head snapped up and not unexpectedly, a ton of different emotions flashed across her face; surprise, knowing, shock, confusion. Even now, she was still an open book; so easily read.

 _How?_ Ridley demanded. _How did he know them, and why did he never tell me?_

 _'Careful here,'_ Scarecrow said, _'this might get ugly. What ever you do, keep her in here.'_

 _'Do you think I don't know that?'_ I asked silently, subtly moving to block Ridley's path to the door.

She twisted around to follow my novements, waiting for an answer.

"Edward's a complicated person," I said, planing on how I was going to tell her this. "He most likely thought telling you nothing would protect you, or more likely, because he was selfish."

 _But I have a right to know!_ Ridley signed, movements becoming bigger; more wild. _Why is he being selfish about it?_

"Why is he?" I asked. "Did you know that Edward practically grew up around your family? He was hopelessly in love, or what he perceived as love. From a psychological standpoint, it was more of an idolizism than love. Or whatever twisted sense that 'love' is."

I said the last part a bit bitterly as I thought of the recent events. Certainly 'love' was a mere chemical (im)balance of the mind. Something only made people do stupid things and think irrationally. At least, that's how I was beginning to see it.

 _Who did he love then?_ Ridley asked, though I could see the gears working in her brain as she connected the dots. _Don't tell me that—_ her eyes widened as the pieces fell into place for her.

"Yes," I said, probably a bit too gleeful at her obvious anguish, "Edward was in love with your mother."

XXX

 **Ridley's P.O.V.**

"It's really an interesting bit of psychology," Jon said, not missing beat. Like what he'd just said didn't mean anything.

But it _did._ It did mean something. What the heck? My hands shook slightly and I had to take deep breaths to steady both them and my racing heart. Edward had been in love with my mother? Besides the weirdness factor of it, it was hard to wrap my head around. How old was he again? And how old was my mother at the time of her... death?

"Are you listening, Ridley?" Jon asked, breaking me out of my thoughts

I shook my head and he sighed.

"I said, that you shouldn't worry too much about it," Jon said, clearly not liking the fact that he had to repeat himself. "Sure it might sound a bit weird at first, but it's just a piece of Freudian psychology. Like the Oedipus complex, that seems more likely as Edward had a lacking—"

 _I don't care about the psychology behind it!_ I signed furiously, _Just explain it. In simple terms!_

"But it does help explain it!" Jon said, anger flashing in his eyes. "Just shut up and let me talk!"

I was too stunned by his words to do much else _but_ stop. Just who did he think he was, telling me to shut up? It wasn't like I could actually _talk_. I glared at him and crossed my arms.

 _'Fine asshole, have it your way.'_

"Don't give me that look," Jon hissed as he started to pace back and forth.

 _'Just shut up and talk if that's what you want.'_

Jon scowled before continuing, "Like I was saying, the Oedipus Complex. That's basically where the son has a sexual desire for his mother. Now Edward's mother was as absent as his father was, so he just latched onto the next best thing, a mother like figure that was a big focal point in his life; _your_ mother."

 _That's just sick!_ I signed, not willing to believe it. Psychoanalysis or not, this was just going a bit _too_ far.

"Oh, it definitely is," Jon said gravely. "What makes it worse, Edward is eight years _younger_ than your mother."

 _How the hell do you even know this?_ I signed, desperate for an answer that was any different from the one he was giving me. I didn't want to know about the weird relationship between Edward and my mother; a mother I didn't even remember.

"He told me of course," Jon said smugly, "Pillow talk does loosen ones tongue by quite a lot." He smirked.

I fought to keep my face neutral and disinterested, biting the inside of my mouth. It shouldn't have bothered me, what he said, but it did, and that just made things more confusing for myself.

Certainly if it bothered me, then that meant that I had some feelings for Edward, right? I mean, Edward and akin being together didn't bother me in that sense, but I'd be lying if it didn't in any other form. Jon was baiting me, freaking psychologist; preying on others weaknesses to get the desired effects. But crap, it was getting to me, no matter how hard I tried for it _not_ to.

Jon's smirk widened and a look of triumph sparked in his eyes. I really wanted to punch or kick him right then, but that's exactly what he'd expect me to do, so I refrained.

Another part of this was bugging me and I wondered how many times Edward had looked at me and saw my mother. I inwardly shuddered at the sheer disturbance of the thought. I pondered though, how much did I look like my mother? I recalled the faint memory of the simulation Edward put me through, no, if that simulation was anything close to being true, then I looked nothing like her.

That brought me to antihero realization, that's why Edward had been so mad then, because I had seen my mother, even if I didn't know it was her at that time.

 _How,_ I paused to gather my thoughts, _how did— What happened?_

"Like how everything happens in those situations," Jon said carelessly, "nothing. Your mother didn't return Edward's feelings, thank god, and that's that. Of course, you may not remember it, but Edward was a good friend of your families regardless."

 _And just who was my mother?_ I demanded, not bothering to think about what he just said. My need to know who she was meant more to me than how I might've known Edward in the past.

"Why only the one person that Edward can't stand to hear the name of anymore," Jon said, stopping and meeting my gaze. "One grey eyes woman by the name of Anna Bradford."

###

 **Hello readers! How do you like me splitting up the chapter like this? I know it's a bit annoying with the cliff hangers, but I feel like splitting it up like this is rather interesting. I know that these chapters aren't as long as the ones where I previously split them up, but I feel like this also helps with the urgency and fast pacedness of the current situation.**

 **What do you think about this? Leave your thoughts in the comments!**? ﾟﾑﾇ?


	46. 【46】

_'Anna Bradford.'_

The name echoed in my head. I had a name. I had my mothers name. Not only that; I had my own name or at least half of it. Bradford, not Wayne. That brought up a whole nother slew of questions. What was my real name? I knew that Ridley was merely a name that Bruce gave me because it was the only clue that he really had.

I subconsciously pulled out the necklace that Bruce had given me before my kidnapping and rubbed it between my fingers.

"You have a delicate psyche," Jon said, "that's why Bruce probably kept the information from you."

I started and glanced over at him, _How'd you know...?_

"As I've said before," Jon said plainly, "you're like an open book. You really should work on that."

 _Of course_ , I signed, _I'll do that along with the rest of the stuff that I have to do, like making sure that I don't go crazy with you not telling me stuff._

"I am telling you," Jon said with a huff. "Edward had a strong attachment to your mother, and I personally think that your mother made a mistake by letting him hang around after you were born. Kind of like a childhood friend of sorts, though he's quite a bit older than you."

 _Childhood friend? How old is he exactly?_

"Edward's two years younger than I," Jon said, "so he's roughly around 33."

I tried to not think about the weirdness of the fact. I most certainly didn't want to think that I might have feelings for someone who 1) liked my mother and 2) was 15 years older than me. Both of those were creepy by themselves.

"You should be honored that he wants to pay that much attention to you," Jon added as he started to pace again. He wiped some invisible dust off of the table.

 _How do you even know all this?_ I asked.

"Some stuff Edward told me directly," Jon said, "others I just figured out based on how he would act. I also used a marvelous thing known as the internet."

Under any other circumstance, the use of sarcasm would've been funny, but right now it was just plain mean and uncalled for.

"The question is," Jon said, turning to face me, "why didn't you look it up yourself? If you really wanted to know about your past, it would've been as easy as searching it up on the internet."

He had a very good point. Why hadn't I looked into it more? I had nearly every opportunity throughout the years, but I hadn't taken it. Maybe it was a trust issue, or maybe not. I hadn't really thought much about my past until recently, certain that Bruce would've told me when I needed to know. But would he have really? Knowing him... probably not; that was the sad thing.

Bruce was a good guy, I mean, anyone who was willing enough to take down bad guys like he did was; he just needed to get his priorities straight. Of course I was one to talk about priorities.

 _I guess I really didn't think about it until recently,_ I signed carefully. _I always assumed that Bruce would tell me when the time was right. Or maybe I was— I wasn't ready to hear it?_

I had almost signed _afraid_ but stopped myself. Giving any advantage to the Master of Fear was risky.

"People will never tell you anything unless you make them," Jon said, face darkening. I wondered if he had any personal experience with that, he most certainly seemed to based on his mood.

 _Tell me more about my mother_ , I signed. _Please? Anything you know about her._

"Alright," Jon said, pulling up a stool and sitting across from me. "Let's see here..." He tapped his chin before continuing. "She graduated from CCU at the top of her class with a degree in Biotechnology."

 _Wait,_ I signed, _she didn't go to G-C-U?_ I spelled out the acronym.

"No," Jon said, "CCU had a more advanced program. Then again, their technology is always seemingly one step ahead of ours."

 _'I wonder why,'_ I thought. _'They don't have villains running around stealing things and causing general disturbances, and even if they do, it's not as bad as here.'_

"From Biotech, she moved on to a join a group of people that like to call themselves _Technogaians_ , Which basically means that they don't have the same views as traditional environmentalists and believe that technology can help save the enviroment, not degrade it."

 _Of course technology can help save the enviroment,_ I sighed, _it's not the tech that's the issue, it's the people using it. Just like everything. A knife isn't good or evil, it's the person who wields it._

"Precisely," Jon said.

 _Did Penguin have anything to do with what... You know, happened?_ I asked abruptly.

Jon stared at me and a flicker of alarm showed in his eyes before passing.

"No," he said, "not that I know of. Why do you ask?" He gave me a puzzled look, as if it was the craziest idea ever

 _Well,_ I signed, _Barbara said that—_

"Don't believe everything you hear," Jon said, cutting me off, "especially when it comes to the police."

 _But don't they—_ I tried again.

"If you want to know the facts about something you have to get it directly from the souce," Jon said firmly. "That way you know that it accurate."

 _Then what's stopping me from not believing you?_ I challenged.

"The reason why you came to me in the first place," Jon said, "because you trust me, at least to some extent." He titled his head, "If you don't really believe me, then what would it take for you to?"

 _Why are you so interested in gaining my trust?_ I asked. _And if it wasn't Penguin, then who was it that ordered Zsasz to do the things he did?_

"Trust is a fundamental aspect of human society," Jon said, "plus, Edward's a— a friend." He struggled to get the word out and suppressed something between a grin and a feeling of pity. He must've gotten friend zoned so badly.

"It's very odd," Jon added, "but as Rouges, it's always looking out for number one. Sometimes that just doesn't work out so well though. We become attached to each other persay. Team up to cause general mishaps together." He chuckled, "We get to know each other better; we bond. I guess you could say that I view Edward and Selina almost like family."

I slowly blink and stare at him. _'Well that's not creepy.'_

"Oh god, that sounds awful, doesn't it?" Jon gave me an alarmed look before giving a slight smile.

 _You said it, not me,_ I signed.

"Whatever, smartass."

 _I'm definitely smart, but not an ass,_ I argued.

"Now you're acting like Edward," Jon scolded, "that's not good."

 _Says who?_

"I say so," Jon said, leaning forward. "I view you as family to you know, cause you joined us."

 _Alright..._ I signed, a little weary of his words. I never considered the fact that anyone of them would view me like that. I had always just been the person that was just _there_.

"Zsasz may work for Penguin, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't pick up other jobs," Jon said, switching the subject back to was it was before.

It took me a moment to realize that he'd done that.

"Anyone could've told him to do it, if they had the right payment."

 _Anyone?_ I signed, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't give me that look," Jon said, chidingly, "if you want my help, you're going to have to trust me."

 _Who said I needed you help?_ I asked. _Besides, what would I need help with in the first place?_

"Your whole issue is psychological," Jon said, "that's all there is to it. I could help you unlock the parts of your memory that you can't access."

 _Would that necessarily be a good thing though?_

"Would you rather find things out now in a controlled enviroment, or have them build up to the point of exploding out of you?" Jon countered.

 _Good point,_ I said. _So how are we going to do this? Hypothetically speaking if I want to go through with it?_

"You already do," Jon said with a satisfied smirk. "You just said so. What came after was quite contradictory to the fact."

 _Maybe it was, but what are we going to do? Are you going to do any of that psychiatrist stuff?_

"If you want me to," Jon said, "but I don't think it'd be very effective. You've had such a long stretch of time between when things happened up until now. I think it'd be best if we went to the main source of the traumatic event and see if it triggers anything."

 _Are you sure that'd be safe?_ I really wanted to learn more about my past and if Jon was willing to help me... Still though. Would it be a good idea?

 _And,_ I added, _it's not like the house still exists, does it?_ I gave him a curiously interested look.

"It's Gotham," Jon said with a shrug. "A murder isn't going to stop most people from buying a house, especially when they don't have a choice."

I winced slightly as his words. _Murder._ That's what Zsasz did to my parents, and almost did to me as well.

"Would you want to go?" Jon asked, tilting his head slightly. "I don't force you to."

 _Who can say no to having such a opertunitly?_ I signed.

"That's what I like to hear," Jon said with a full on smile.

 _How do you even know where it is?_

"Edward keeps tabs on stuff like that," Jon said. "Talk about obsessive compulsiveness, right?" He let out a short laugh and I frowned.

Jon kept on constantly talking down on Edward, and I didn't personally like it. You don't do that to your firends, no matter what the two of you go theough. That goes back to what he said about trust. You have to trust someone when you first become friends with them. And respect is another big thing as well. Those two things made up good and solid relationship of any kind.

 _Well..._ I said uncertainly, _I suppose if you know where it is... What about Edward though? Shouldn't we let him know we're were going anyways? So he doesn't worry._

"Do you want to go tell him?" Jon raised an eyebrow.

 _He'd probably tell me not to go,_ I admitted.

"He most certainly would do everything within his power to not let you go," Jon said with a nod of agreement. But it's your call."

 _I—I think I want to go,_ I sign.

"Let's go," Jon said, "unless you don't want seem unsure about it."

 _Do I have a choice?_

"Do you?" He gave me a patronizing look.

I hesitated before replying, _Alright._


	47. 【47】

"Ok," Jon said, standing up and walking over to a nearby closet, "why don't you meet me in the garage then? You remember where it is?"

 _Of course_ , I signed, a bit annoyed. _Do I need to bring anything with me?_

"I assume you do," Jon continued, not seeing what I had signed. "Just go ahead, I'll be there in a moment."

He opened the closet and disappeared inside.

Letting out a sigh, I turned around and made my way out of the room. I supposed that what Jon was doing was nice, but that was just the issue; Jon was _never_ nice. So why now? Why offer to help me? While it was most certainly strange, it wasn't past anyone to help another. He'd already told me a lot of stuff about my past and said that he'd tell me more. Not to mention that he'd help me get my memories back.

I shook my head to try and clear it as I walked into the garage. Glancing around the smaller warehouse, I studied the few different vehicles there wondering which one we'd be taking. I also wondered what Selina would think of this. She was much more understanding than Edward, probably. Would she be ok with this? It wasn't like I was going by myself, which I probably would've if I found it out without Jon's help.

"Let's go," Jon said from behind me, making me jump in surprise.

I turned around to see him standing there with a bag slung over his shoulder.

 _I thought you said that we didn't need anything,_ I signed with a frown.

"We probably don't," Jon said with a nod of agreement, "but you never know what could happen. I am a wanted criminal after all. Speaking of which..." He tossed something at me and I caught it in surprise.

"I can't have you be recognizable," Jon explained as I turned what I realized was a wig in my hands. "It wouldn't be good for us. You're too easily spotted with your hair the color it is."

Giving a short nod, I situated the wig so that it covered my hair before giving him an expectant look.

"Impatient, huh? I don't blame you." Jon chuckled before motioning over to a black BMW with tinted windows. "There."

Scrambling into the car, I sat down and buckled my seat belt. Jon settled into the driver's seat and started the engine before backing out and turning on to the street. We spent the good first few minutes in silence and I stared out the window watching the buildings pass by.

 _Can you tell me anything else about my past?_ I asked Jon, looking at him.

He gave me a sidelong look, keeping one eye on the road before saying, "I don't know as much as you think I do, but I'll do my best to answer any more questions that you have."

 _Where are we heading?_ I asked. _Like I know it's— It's where I used to live, but where exactly is it?_

"A little ways just outside the Narrows," Jon said, taking a left and merging into the Downtown Gotham traffic. "Normal, all things considered."

 _What do you mean by that?_

"Well," Jon said, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel as we stopped at a light, "for one thing, it's Gotham. The unemployment rate is horrendous. Even with such a degree that your mother had, it would be hard to find a good paying job."

 _And my father?_ I signed. _What about him?_

"Nothing much to say about him," Jon said dismissively. "Average middle class, divorced, typical useless degree for living in a city... the usual."

 _Woah, woah, woah,_ I signed, _hold on a minute. My father was divorced before he met my mom?_

"It's not that uncommon," Jon said.

 _You're missing the point!_ I signed. If he was divorced then that means that he had a family or something before.

"That's usually how things work," Jon said wryly.

I shot him an irritated look before signing, _I_ know _that. What I'm trying to get at is if he was divorced, and if he had a family before he married my mom, then would that mean that I have at least a half-sibling or two?_

"It's possible," Jon said vaguely, "Edward would probably know more. He's obsessive that way."

 _What's your deal with him?_ I asked. _I've noticed that you don't always treat him the best._

"It's really none of your business," Jon said shortly, driving down a small street.

 _I think it is,_ I argued, _he's one of my friends after all. Plus, as his friend also, you should look out for, and be nice to him._

"You barely know him," Jon said curtly, gripping the steering wheel, "so don't tell me how I should treat him. You don't know one thing about him."

 _I know enough about common courtesy and general niceness to know that the way you're treating him isn't the best!_

Jon stopped, albeit a bit suddenly, and scowled. "We're here."

I paused in the middle of making a rude gesture and glanced out the window.

The street that we were parked on was bleak and pretty rundown. My gaze flicked from one house to the other, searching for the one that I had grown up in. Placing a hand on the window, I found it, through a sort of recognition that I couldn't explain. Nerves built up in my stomach and I struggled with the feeling.

 _There's a car in front of it_ , I signed in surprise, turning to look at Jon.

"Well _obviously_ ," Jon said, rolling his eyes.

 _What do you mean by obviously?_

"I mean exactly what I said," Jon replied. "Obviously."

 _I know that you said!_ I signed, letting out a huff of annoyance. _I'm mute, not deaf._

"What I meant to say is that yes, there is a car in front of the house. People live there; obviously."

 _Stop saying that word! It's annoying_. I signed with a slight scowl. _But people would live in a house where a, ah, murder took place?_

"Technically there were two," Jon said, "but yes. When the only option to keep off the streets would be to take a house where a double homicide took place... Well, people would be desperate enough to do so. I just didn't expect people to be there now."

 _So what where you planning on doing then?_ I asked. _Breaking and entering?_

"No," Jon said sarcastically, "I was planning on knocking on the door and introducing myself. Yes you'll be breaking and entering, obv—"

 _Don't say that word again_ , I signed with a frown, _and what do you mean by 'you'll'? You're not coming?_

"Of course not," Jon said, "it's important for you to do this on your own; without any external complications."

 _Are you saying that you are a complication?_ I asked.

"Some would view me as such," Jon said. "Just go ahead."

 _What if someone is there? I can't just—_

"No one's there!" Jon said. "Look, the lights are out, and no sound is coming out of the house. You'll be fine."

 _Well... I mean_ , I hesitated. I really did want to go and check it out, but at the same time I didn't. If someone was there, how would I explain things? The general public didn't even know sign language. I made it this far though, it'd be pointless to turn back now. I didn't want to prove what I'm sure Jon was currently thinking was true; I wasn't a chicken and I wasn't going to back out now.

"Just go," Jon said before I could make a decision. He reached over me and pushed open the door. "I'll stay here incase anything happens." In case you freak out and can't go, was the unspoken part.

I scurried out of the car and onto the street, stepping over a broken bottle. Halfway across the street, I paused and turned to look back. Jon was digging around for something in the backseat, oblivious to me. Clearly I wasn't getting any help or support from him.

My nerves grew tenfold as I walked up to the house. It was nicer than the others on the street, but still showed the wear and tear of neglect. As I walked up the front steps, I could see the chipped and flaking paint of the front door.

Hand shaking, I raised it to knock on the door, only for it to land on the door knob. Holding my breath, I turned it, surprised when it gave way. A feeling of foreboding settled next to the butterflies in my stomach.

Why would a door just be open like this? It wasn't safe. Anyone could walk in a steal stuff. That's what I was doing, minus the stealing of course. I was just going to look around and once my curiosity was stated, I'd leave. Easing the door open, I stepped inside, taking in my surroundings.

A old worn out couch made up most of the living room, a large oak TV cabinet on the left up against the wall. A low siting coffee table was placed in front of the couch, a pile of magazines on top of it. A staircase led up to the second floor flanking one side of the TV cabinet.

I paused there, expecting something, anything to come to me, but nothing did. It was more like an itch, one that you knew was there but couldn't reach. Annoying and persisting, something impossible to ignore.

Looking to the other side of the room, I saw an entryway leading to a kitchen. A memory pulled strongly when I saw the door and I swore I heard something from inside. A bark or scream perhaps, but it was faint, nearly no existent.

Shaking my head violently, I glanced to the side and froze as I saw a small picture frame on a side table. This one was different than the others lining the walls. It wasn't of a family dressed in their finest, but rather, a photo taken of three people and a dog; a crooked photo by a child attempting to take their first group picture of the family.

How the hell did I know that?

The itching in the back if my mind became furious clawing, raking it's nails down the inside of my mind. Wincing at the pain, I absentmindedly rubbed my arm before tentatively reaching out a hand, fingers brushing the picture as darkness slammed over me.

I can't see! I jerked back, eyes widening. Wait. I could see, just not what was really in front of me. It was like someone pulled an alternate reality over my eyes.

The side table with it picture was gone, the picture instead hanging crookedly on the wall, splattered with blood.

Whirling around heart racing, I beheld the new living room. A couch, this one different from the other, lay upside down, cushions scattered. A foot stool, in place of the coffee table was lying in the corner, one of its legs broken. And the worst thing...

A body of a man lay just a few feet from the kitchen door. Letting out a silent cry, I darted across the room. In another world I banged my shins against the coffee table and sprawled across it.

Blinded yet not blinded, I scrambled over it and crawled forward, shins aching.

 _'No no no no no!'_ I thought, panic rising. For I knew, without a doubt in my mind that this man lying there was my father. _'No! Please!'_

I moved to roll the body over, but my hands just passed right though it.

 _'It's not real,'_ my mind whispered. _'Not real. Move on.'_

Abandoning the body with some reluctance, I crawled into the kitchen I recoiled at the sight of a dogs corpse lying in the corner. Like the mans body though, my hand passed right through it. Trembling, I felt my way over to a counter and hauled myself up.

 _'Its not real. It's not real. It's not real.'_ I shut my eyes right and kept chanting that, focusing on what was real; the pain in my legs from running into the coffee table. _'Not real. Not real. Not real.'_

Cracking my eyes open, I was relieved to find that the nightmare or whatever it was had passed. That relief was short lived though as footsteps came from the other direction.

Pressing my back up against the counter, I faced the person with wide eyes. Phantom pain shot through my body, and if I had my voice I would've cried out. The best I could manage was a pathetic croaking fart noise.

I knew, without ever seeing picture, who this was. It was like a recognition, a sick and twisted connection. Someone I knew from the very bottom of my soul.

 _'I know you,'_ my mind hissed, _'you hurt me.'_

"Hello dear child," Zsasz purred, a wicked grin on his face.


	48. 【48】

**Jon's P.O.V.**

I tapped my fingers against the steering wheel as Ridley made her way into the house. I hoped that Penguin would hold up his end of the bargain, but I had doubts. For one thing, it was Penguin, and for another, the car had been out front.

We'd talked about how it'd only be there if Penguin and Zsasz ran into a problem and needed me to stall. Everything had been planned down to the very last detail, with it being finalized earlier this morning.

 _'What does it matter?'_ Scarecrow said peevishly. _'It's none of your concern. What are you still doing here anyways? You should've left as soon as she entered the house.'_

"I need to make sure that Penguin holds up his end of the bargain," I said, having no issues with talking aloud to my other self. I was, after all, alone.

 _'Penguin's a businessman,'_ Scarecrow said, _'and like any good one, he'll do what is necessary to stay within his clients good graces.'_

"Even so," I said, "his loyalties lie with who ever has the most money to offer."

 _'Regardless,'_ Scarecrow said with a touch of annoyance, _'what about Edward? He's bound to find out about all of this, with watching this house like he does.'_

"If worse comes to worse, I can always say that I didn't know that Zsasz was here," I said, the idea sounding flimsy.

 _'Edward is not an idiot,'_ Scarecrow said, _'he'll figure it out eventually, especially if you continue to sit here like lump.'_

"What do you propose I do then?"

 _'Why go rescue the girl of course, or at least pretend to. It's really that simple.'_

"Well..." I chewed my lip and glanced down at my mask sitting in my lap. I'd grabbed it when Ridley hadn't been looking. It wouldn't hurt anything to pretend, after all, everything would end up the same; but...

 _'You're not_ afraid _are you?'_ Scarecrow said scornfully.

"Of course not." I snorted, appalled by the very idea. Even if I was afraid, it wasn't because of that. The very idea seemed ridiculous. "I'm cautious, there's a difference."

 _'If you're not scared, go in there,'_ Scarecrow challenged.

"Fine." I got out of the car and hid my mask. I wasn't stupid enough to put it on right away. The neighborhood may have looked deserted; in reality it was anything but. I could feel a few curious eyes on me as I stalked over to the house, it's pale grey trim drab under the murky sky.

Picking my way over to the side of the house, I peered carefully through the half open kitchen window. From my vantage point, I could clearly see both Ridley and Zsasz.

A flicker of excitement flared trough me as I beheld the terror on the girls face.

 _'Yes,'_ Scarecrow said gleefully, _'such terror from someone who barely knows anything.'_

 _'That's what makes her even more afraid,'_ I replied. _'Fear of the unknown is quite a powerful thing.'_

I ducked under the window as Ridley began to glance around frantically.

"Seems so fitting that we're once again here together, hmmmm?" Zsasz asked, his voice floating through the window. "It was such a disappointment that we weren't allowed to continue previously."

I looked through the window again to see her reaction. Things couldn't have gone better, especially with my brilliant idea of adding the picture of her family into the mix. It was almost Edward worthy. Almost. I did frown slightly though. Scarecrow did not spy, and he most certainly did hide from things. Hiding went along with fear, and I was most certainly _not_ afraid.

I studied Ridley's face as Zsasz continued to talk. She'd transitioned out of her psychogenic blackout to psychogenic shock, and while her going into another blackout would've been interesting as I hadn't expected something quite as drastic, I was glad. Fear was much better to see when someone was conscious.

 _'Are you going to go in there yet?'_

 _'No. Be patient. Nothing good has ever come out of being hasty.'_

Scarecrow snorted, but settled down.

Ridley scrambled around for anything to protect herself against Zsasz, sweat beading on her suddenly pale skin. She finally got her hands on a knife, but it wasn't very big, most likely something used to cut fruit. I wouldn't have been surprised if she accidentally dropped it and ended up impaling herself, she was shaking that badly.

Zsasz gave an amused grin. Such things were child's play to someone like him.

"Is that how you'd like to play?"

He pulled out his own blade, a wicked double edged hunting knife that made Ridley's fruit knife look like a toy.

I wondered if Ridley would do anything irrational. It was most certainly something of interest if she did, fear did that to people on remarkable levels. To observe something in such a way, in a natural setting, was almost too much.

Ridley inches away from Zsasz as he advanced on her, scooting over to the refrigerator. Like that'd do anything to help.

"Come now pet," Zsasz taunted, "showing such fear isn't good. You don't want ol' Jonny boy coming, do you? He can probably smell your fear."

A scowl crossed my face. We'd agreed that I'd stay out of this. In event if Ridley did somehow manage to either escape or got rescued, I'd taken to protect myself and advised to keep my name out of it. Obviously that wasn't going to be happening.

Ridley gave Zsasz a defiant look and brandished her knife. Zsasz chuckled and knocked it out of her hand.

"I admire your courage Plum," he said, "but it is futile."

He flicked his weapon carelessly but with a purpose. Ridley flinched as an inch long cut appeared on her arm, through the fabric of her shirt.

"Oopsies," Zsasz said, "you know what they say, have one cut, you're bound to get another."

I bristled at that. I had specifically said no harm was to come to Ridley until she was in full custody of Penguim, meaning she was at whatever sort of place Penguin wanted to keep her at. Is been right with my suspicion of him not going along with what we'd planned.

"I think I'll enjoy this a lot better than last time," Zsasz mused. "While attacking a child may have been easy work, now however, the prey will be all the more enjoyable to hunt. It never shouldn't be easy. If it is, you're not having enough fun."

Scarecrow stirred impatiently and I knew that he wanted something to be done, and quickly.

 _'Soon,'_ I told him.

 _'You're going to miss the opertunitly!'_ he snapped, grabbing for control.

It took some mental effort, but I managed to keep him away. There was no clue as to what would happen if he gained control over the matter. While my other half was sometimes sensible, more often than not, he was a pain in the butt. There was no denying that he got things done though.

I needed to stop this before it got too out of hand though. Killing Ridley here, while be the opportune time, it wasn't ideal. Not when I was certain that Edward had cameras inside the house. He'd didn't have to see it play out, as it most certainly would if I didn't step in.

 _'Why protect him?'_ Scarecrow said with a hiss. _'After everything he said to us, you still act like this?'_

 _'Its not just something that'll go away within a few hours!'_ I turned and glared at my feet. _'Several years worth of feelings won't just disappear.'_

 _'We agreed that we wouldn't interfere with anything!'_ Scarecrow said. _'Why risk Penguin's wrath over something as trivial as her death!? You don't even like her.'_

 _'No,'_ I thought guiltily, _'but I like the person who likes her.'_

 _'You've grown soft,'_ Scarecrow spat, _'it's disgusting and sick of it.'_

Scarecrow slipped on his mask and shifted through some pockets before pulling out a few vials of Fear Toxin and a lighter. Chuckling, he flicked it on and tossed it, along with the Fear Toxin, into the house.

"Time to _lighten up_ the party."

He ducked for cover as the explosion rattled the windows.


	49. 【49】

**Ridley's P.O.V.**

I coughed and carefully unfolded myself from the refrigerator. I'd been lucky enough to notice Jon throw down thing through the window, if I hadn't been... Luckily is been close enough to the refrigerator to get somewhat inside of it.

Shaking my head to dispel the ringing in my ears, I winced as the pounding in my head grew. Why had Jon been there? Not that I wasn't thankful for it. He was probably lurking in the window because of his research, curious as to what my reaction would be. Then, not anticipating Zsasz to be here, he'd acted without thinking and set off an explosion.

Zsasz though... I ran my hand over my bare arm, the sleeve burned, and my infers came away slick with blood. Nausea rolled through me and I quickly wiped it on my pants. Why had he been here? It was even more concerning that Jon hovering in the window.

Seeing Zsasz had been a huge shock, so much so I couldn't do anything. I hated myself for that, my fear had gotten the best of me. Seeing someone who'd done something so horrendous, knowing what he'd done... Anyone would've acted the same way, right?

I shivered and wrapped my arms around myself. There was no way I was going to come out until I was sure Zsasz was gone. Maybe the explosion had scared him off? Jon was around so maybe he would—

'F _oolish,'_ my mind hissed. _'You're smart enough to see the signs, think about it.'_

Memories flashed through my mind. When I'd first officially met Jon, the loathing and disgust on his face. When is found out that Jon liked Edward and all the arguing between the two about my mother. The oddly uncharacteristic moments of cheerfulness from Jon when he'd come back from one of his little trips. Then the most recent turn of events, his sudden willingness to tell me things about my past. Him actually being nice for a change... Offering to being me here...

 _'It was a trick.'_

Why would he do that though? What could he possibly get out of it? On top of that, he'd claimed we were like family.

 _'And family doesn't lie? How many times has Bruce lied to you? It was nothing more than silver-tongued words spoken by a masterful liar.'_

I shivered, all too confused about everything that was going on. My thoughts making it all he more difficult to piece things at the sound of someone calling my name, I first thought it was Zsasz.

"Ridley."

No, it wasn't Zsasz, the voice was different. Jon maybe? It sounded similar enough, the timbre was a bit deeper though.

 _'It's Scarecrow.'_

I'd come into contact with Jon's alter ego before, and he had no reason to hurt me. It was different this time though, what could I do?

 _'Confront him. It's better than hiding here like a coward.'_

I didn't particularly like the idea, but maybe Scarecrow would be more lenient since I would face him? If I showed I wasn't afraid, or at least not as afraid as I felt, maybe things would work out.

Carefully, I crawled out of the refrigerator and into the wrecked kitchen. Some of the debris was still burning, small flames flickering. Letting out a cough, I glanced around to see that no one was there. Had I missed something?

Rising unsteadily to my feet, I kicked a burning cookbook aside. I should leave, but where would I go? I could go back to Edward, but how to explain everything? I couldn't, at least not yet. I didn't want to explain things when I didn't even understand everything fully. Going back to Bruce was also out of the question, I'd established that already.

My strength disappeared and I fell to my knees. Whether I liked it or not, I was in a similar situation as last time. I was alone in my house, surrounded by destruction. Only this time, no one was around to save me except myself.

"Ridley?" The deep and smooth voice of Scarecrow washed over me and I twisted around eyes wide.

 _No no no, stay away_. I scrambled backwards as he approached, his face obscured by the ridiculous mask he wore.

"It's alright, I won't hurt you."

Closer now.

I scooted backwards and tried to make myself as small as possible.

 _'Liar, it's clearly obvious.'_

My back hit the overturned kitchen table and my heartbeat increased. Trapped. I was—

"Don't take this personally," Scarecrow said, "it's not you, it's me. Well, to be fair it was you, but no hard feelings right?"

 _'Liar.'_

"Don't think too hard about it."

 _'Traitor.'_

"You wouldn't understand anyways."

 _'Fraud.'_

"This is necessary."

 _'Monster.'_

He raised his arm.

"Just add this to the list of things you won't remember."

 _'I thought you were my...'_

A faint hiss emitted and I was met with a white cloud straight to the face and my vision went dark.

 _friend..._

###

 **A/N: Oh my God, sorry this was so short.**? **How do you like the story so far? It's almost over...**


	50. 【50】

**Jon's P.O.V.**

I could breathe easy once Ridley was under the effects of the Fear Toxin. Her childish naiveté was pathetic. You'd think she'd learn how to spot a liar with the amount of times she'd been lied to.

It was interesting though, the result of her being here again. Her mind broke, albeit not completely, which I suppose was good. Unfortunately for her, if recognized exactly what had happened because I'd seen it before. It was easy to see that she was becoming _JUSTE COMME MOI_.

Picking my way across the destroyed kitchen, I approached Ridley. She was completely out, and had I not known that is sprayed her with Fear Toxin, I would've mistaken her to be uncoincious, which was exactly what I wanted. No response at all though, which led me back to my original curiosity on the matter. I could easily hook her up to a brain scan and—

"Well done there, doctor," Zsasz said. I could see him come out of the living room in the corner of my eye. "I told Oswald that we couldn't trust you. Looks like my theory was correct."

"Nonsense," I said, not looking at him, focusing solely on Ridley.

The click of a gun made me stiffen and I slowly turned around. Zsasz was standing a few feet away with a thoughtful look on his face as he aimed a small pistol at my head.

"I do applaud you on your work though," Zsasz said, "getting her here must've been quite the effort."

"What do you plan on doing to her?" I asked with mild interest. I had to draw things out, at least until I could convince Zsasz that I was not doing what he though I was; meaning backing out of our agreement.

"Well, Oswald didn't have any plans for her per se," Zsasz said, "we never really discussed it you know. He was probably going to kill her."

"She wouldn't be of any use for leverage then?"

"Oh, she most certainly is," Zsasz said, moving to my left. I slowly matched his movements, keeping an eye on him. Zsasz rarely used guns in his kind of work, preferring the close proximity of a knife. If he was using a gun now... well, that meant he wanted the job done quickly. Who could blame him though?

The faint sounds of sirens in the distance could be heard. As part of the plan, we'd agreed that Penguin would stir up trouble on the other side of Gotham for Batman to keep him away from us.

"What kind of leverage are you talking about?"

"Ah ah ah." Zsasz put the gun away and waved a finger at me. "I see what you're doing here, and it's not gonna work."

He lunged at me and I threw a punch in defense, only for him to parry it. Trying again, he easily knocked my arm aside and slammed the side of his hand Ito my neck. I grunted in pain and became dizzy, unable to deflect the next incoming blow.

A knee to the stomach caused me double over from the pain. Gasping for air I briefly wondered how Zsasz be doing this so easily. I gave a weak swing at him, but I lost concentration as pain exploded in my knee before a got an elbow to the face.

Still keeping that grip on my arm, Zsasz kicked his foot backwards, causing me to land heavily on my back. Before I could catch me breath, he kicked me viciously in the back before stepping I've me and digging a knee into the side of my head. Of course _then_ Ridley decided to have some effects from the Fear Toxin. On reflect, she let out a kick... Right to my face. I felt the crunch of her foot hitting my nose and pain shot through head; my nose now broken.

"H-how the heck...?" I tried to piece together what had just happened as my nose started bleeding.

"Its simple really," Zsasz hissed, "I'm simply better than you."

"I recognize t-that style.. Kali? But only the—"

Zsasz dug his knee deeper into my head and I gasped again as my vision blurred.

"There are many other people that are interested in Ridley Wayne," he said in a low voice. "Did you think you were the only one? In exchange for the marvelous fighting lessons, the League ordered me to bring her to them. Preferably alive for whatever reason, but they said nothing about her not being harmed."

It was getting harder for me to get a coherent thought put together and on top of that, I was worried that he'd kill me as well. He had no use for me, not like Ridley, so what was stopping him?

"Be glad that the League doesn't want you killed," Zsasz growled. "If it were up to me you'd be history. Unfortunately for me, and luckily for you, they seem content with watching your pathetic advancements on Riddler. It really does make me sick."

He leaned down and hissed in my ear, "Fag."

My vision turned red, but whether it was due to his words or the fact that I somehow got blood in my eyes, I didn't know. Blinking furiously to clear my vision, I found the strength to break his hold and threw him off me, jumping to my feet.

Breathing heavily I snarled, "that doesn't concern you."

"Does it though?" Zsasz asked, getting to his feet. "I make it a point to know everything I can about my victims and the people I deal business with."

"And yet you know next to nothing about your current employer," I countered.

"That doesn't matter," Zsasz said, a muscle twitching along his jaw.

"It does," I said, gaining some confidence. Analyzing people was something I could so well, and it drove Zsasz crazy not knowing anything on who he was working for.

"I would stop trying to analyze other people and start focusing on yourself, _doctor._ " Zsasz used the term this time as a snide and jabbing remark. "Why I wonder what you'd come up with if you did so. I could set you up with someone, you know," he added, "the new boy that Oswald hired is also a Fa—"

I didn't let Zsasz finish his sentence as I lunged at him again. I froze when I felt the muzzle of the pistol press against my chest.

"I'd be careful, doctor," Zsasz said, "though I have strict orders not to kill you, I could easily make it look like an accident."

 _'I could use some help right about now,'_ I thought.

 _'No.'_ Scarecrow said with a snort. _'You got yourself into this situation, you can get yourself out of it.'_

 _'If I remember correctly, it was your idea.'_

 _'He does have a point though,'_ Scarecrow said, _'what would Grandmother think of you—'_

"It doesn't matter!" I yelled, backing up several steps.

"Oh my," Zsasz said, "seems like the doctor is having his own issues."

" _SHUT UP_!"

"Hello, Mr. Scarecrow," Zsasz said, "long time no see."

" _NO ONE EVER WANT'S TO SEE YOU._ "

"Come now, is that how you treat an old friend?"

" _WE NEVER WERE FRIENDS._ "

"Stop, please."

" _BE QUIET! GRANDMOTHER WOULD BE JUST AS DISAPPOINTED WITH YOU AS I AM NOW!_ "

"Leave me alone!" I tried to wrest back comtrol, but it was fast slipping from my grasp. Zsasz looked on, a bemused look on his face.

"You wouldn't want Grandmother to be disappointed, would you?" he taunted.

Something snapped at his comment, and disregarding everything that was going on, I made to attack Zsasz again.

 _Bang._


	51. 【51】

**Edward's P.O.V.**

I sat there in shock after Jon stormed out, it'd never crossed my mind that he'd feel that strongly about me, not once. After I'd managed to snap myself out of it, I debated going after him and apologizing. I eventually decided to take the cowards way out and instead throw myself into my work. It helped keep my mind off of that, but it really wasn't much better.

The news was still going on about Ridley, the rumors and speculations getting more and more out of hand. It made me sick, but then again, the news in Gotham was as corrupted as the politicians. They'd never gotten anything remotely accurate about any of us, not even once. They just got one little tidbit of information and ran with it, not caring if it's factual, and often making things up where there was none.

In other, more interesting and factual news, I figured out how Batman's new sidekicks were. I'd already suspected that Barbara Gordon would be apart of things considering how close her father was to the Bat. So imagine to my pleasant, if not irritated, surprise when I found out she was what the public now called Batgirl.

The new robin was more of an issue, as there wasn't a lot to go off of, at least not at first. Even then, it would be hard to get any information on him. What I did get, made me wonder if it would be wise to tell Ridley. I was certain that she had no idea that she had a brother, and while that was understandable, I didn't think telling her right now was the best as she was just coming to terms with other things. On top of that, her brother's history and current alliances made even me question somethings.

It was odd that Bruce Wayne didn't even know that he had a son until recently, considering who the mother was though... I tried not to think too much about people's reasons for things unless it directly pertain to me or my situation, and bruce Wayne having a relationship with Talia Al Ghul fell into the category of not wanting to understand; at least not yet.

Around three, Query and Echo came in, finished with the tasks that I had assigned them to.

"It's confirmed that Damian Wayne is currently living with his father," Query said, "though it doesn't seem that he is keen on announcing such a thing to the public. You already knew that though."

I nodded absentmindedly as I flipped though a few of the cameras I had set up, "Of course I did, I merely needed an eye witness account to prove it."

"You might be interested in something that we picked up on our way back," Echo added.

"What might that be?" I asked.

"You're telling me that you don't know?" Echo asked, eyes widening.

Ugh, sometimes they were just annoying.

"You'll never know unless you tell me and I respond to it," I said dully.

"We picked up some major activity at the GCPD," Query said, elbowing Echo to be quiet. "Seems like there was a large explosion near the Narrows. They still can't figure out what caused it."

"Where outside the Narrows?" An unsettling feeling settled in my stomach and I realized that Ridley had made no move to drag me out of my work as she usually did, granted, it was usually either Jon or Selina that did it, but Ridley too had taken up the job.

Echo rattled off the address but I stopped listening almost immediately. No... not that.

"Looks like he didn't know about it," Query remarked, though I barely heard her as I ran up to the loft above my room and logged into one of the more private computers that I only used in emergencies.

"What do you want us to do?" Echo called up.

"Just... just keep me posted," I said in distraction. No... I had to figure this out. It couldn't be...

I didn't notice the two cast concerned looks before heading out.

Once I was logged in, I checked the camera that I had placed in Ridley's room. Nothing. Ok, ok. Calm down, she's probably just in another part of the warehouse.

Searching the other cameras I had, I didn't find anything. Not Selina, not Jon, and certainly not Ridley. Of course Jon could be in his lab... The one place where I didn't have cameras due to him being picky about it.

Well... I really didn't want to but...

I quickly checked the camera overlooking that house and my stomach dropped. No...

The house that Anna had lived in was smoking and the police surrounded the perimeter. Who would've... No one knew about the importance or meaning of that place except... Jon.

But why...? _Rache_. Of course, revenge, but—

I cursed. Why hadn't I thought of that? Jon was completely within the parameters of doing something so reckless just to get back at me, not caring about who else got in the line of fire.

Hands shaking, I switched back to the camera in Ridley's room and rewound the recording. She was there, at her desk, writing something in her notebook. I fought the urge to go there now and find out what it was, but I needed to gather all the facts first.

Ok, she left her room an hour into the recording. Then where did she...

Something clicked in my brain. Why hadn't I thought of that? All the facts and information was in front of me, and I could draw my own conclusions. Jon must've took Ridley back to her old home and either helped her, which was unlikely, or he killed her. Wait, not, don't think about that. I shook my head violently and took a deep breath. I was jumping to conclusions and that didn't do any good.

I felt it though, I knew that Jon had something to do with Ridley missing and the fire. Motive was easy, it was... it was my fault. I had caused this, and now I had to fix it, but first...

Picking up my phone on the side of the table I dialed Selina's number.

"Edward?" she asked, picking up on the first ring. "I know that if you're calling it's important, but I'm kind of in the middle of—"

"Is Ridley with you?" I interrupted.

"No?" Selina said. "Edward you know that I wouldn't—"

I hung up.

I gathered my scattered thoughts and tried to calm my rising panic. Next stop: Ridley's room.

Pushing the door to her room open, I hurried in, knowing she probably wouldn't mind me barging in. If she got kidnapped again...

Her desk. The papers stacked neatly on the edge. I scrambled through them, eyes darting as I took it all in. shit shit shit. No. She couldn't have. I knew she was smart, but this... This was too much. For her, for me. Mostly for me because I didn't want to deal with everything it would bring.

But why go to Jon about everything instead of me? Granted, I probably would've tried to get out of it, and maybe... Well Jon wasn't exactly the nicest to Ridley and the reason why was made clear recently. Maybe she thought she could try and bond with him because she knew no answers would come from me?

What happened to them though? Going back to my room, I checked up on the news, just to see what they had to say. Despite what I had initially thought, the news was really the only thing that us Rouges could keep up with safely.

"No one was found inside the building," a reporter was saying, standing outside of the wreckage, "thought it's believed that a few Rouges were involved. Traces of Scarecrow's Fear Toxin have been found and police believe that was what set off the explosion. It's not known why such an attack has happened, but it's not the first time this particular house has seen horrors."

I turned it off then, not wanting to hear about what I already knew about. I'd worked that case despite the departments best interest. I could still see the destruction if I closed my eyes. I needed to stop thinking about that. Bringing up the past wasn't a good thing to do. Especially right now.

I jumped when my phone went off and I grabbed it before turning it on. It was Echo.

 **Echo** : _Hey, we just found some more information about all this, Mad Hatter said that Scarecrow's dumped on a rooftop overlooking 4th and Main. What do you want us to do?_

 **Edward** : _Let me handle it. Stay away and I'll be there as soon as I can._

Echo sent me the exact address and I commited it to memory before shutting my phone off. I then realized that I had a decision to make. The obvious one would to go where Echo and Query had said Jon was. He would have the answers I wanted, and I couldn't care less if he didn't tell me, I would beat it out of him if I had to.

Making my decision, I put on my gear and grabbed the revolver I had before slipping it into a pocket. Hopefully I wouldn't have to use it, but anything goes. I wasn't going with any backup, but it was just Jon. Well, and Scarecrow; the latter had me more worried.

Upon reaching the building that Echo had given me the address to, I clambered up the fire escape and hopped onto the roof. Where... There. I spotted Jon slumped against the edge of the roof, unmoving.

No...

I rushed over and dropped to my knees.

"Jon?"

No response.

"Jonathan Crane!"

I shook him roughly. Nothing.

Damnit.

I ran my hands over his body searching for any wounds or outside bleeding. Finding nothing, my concern was lessened slightly.

Lifting up one of his eyelids I noted the dilated pupils. Ok, this was just something that I'd run into when I had worked at the GCPD. Nothing more. Find the evidence and analyze it. Only this time I didn't have the resources that I had then. Dilated pupils... I leaned down and listened to his breathing. Shallow, but there. I could work with that.

"Get up!" I slapped him upside the head.


	52. 【52】

I breathed a sigh of relief when Jon started coughing and coming to. That relief was quickly replaced with anger though, as I knew what he had done.

"What...?" Jon furrowed his brow and glanced around. He didn't have his glasses, which might've caused part of his confusion. His eyes were worse than mine.

"Shut up," I said, pulling the gun from my pocket and aiming at him.

Jon recoiled and almost fell off the roof if I hadn't grabbed him by his hair.

"...Zsasz...?"

I scowled. How did Jon even have the gall to think I was that cretin. On the other hand, I now knew who had done this, and who had possibly taken Ridley.

"No," I said, shaking him roughly, "it's Edward."

"Hhhuuuuuhh...?" he squinted at me.

"Get it together!" I let go and kicked him in the stomach.

Jon doubled over with a groan and threw up on the ground beside him. Well this was great.

"What'd you do that for?" he asked dowsily.

"How did you get here?" I demanded.

"Uhhh..." Jon's eyes rolled around loosely in his head before focusing back on me. "I think I walked?"

"On to a roof? No, just tell me the truth. You mentioned Zsasz?"

Jon took a deep breath and seemed to think about it for a moment, "Zsasz you said?"

"Yes," I snapped, "you mentioned him. What were you doing with Ridley?"

"Ohhhhh... that," Jon said, "I think I brought her home and Zsasz jumped us? I don't know."

"You have a brain, don't you," I spat, "or is your head just full of straw, _Scarecrow_?"

It was dangerous provoking him like this, but I honestly didn't care and plus, if one personality was under the effects of whatever drug was in his system, the other one was probably as well.

"Don't talk to me like that." Jon struggled to sit up and ended flopping back on the ground. Pathetic.

"Maybe if you acted like halfway decent human being I would."

"Get that thing away from me." Jon absently swatted a hand at my gun but missed it by a few feet.

"Not until you answer my question," I said, gripping the gun tighter. "What did you do?"

"The question is, what did you do?" Jon gave me a lazy grin.

"What are you talking about?"

"You're so high and mighty that I thought you'd know what I'm talking about. It's your fault."

"My only fault is trusting you," I said, glaring at him, "how could you do that?"

"So you do know what I'm talking about," Jon said, gaze wandering to something in the distance.

"I know about you bringing Ridley to her old home and handing her off to Zsasz," I said, and I realized that was true. Something like that must've happened. It was too much of a coincidence for it not to. Zsasz really didn't have a reason to be there anyways unless he was the sentimental type, which I he wasn't.

"She was so determined," Jon said, sweat beading on his brow, "begged me to take her there."

"Liar," I said, "that's all you've ever been."

"You're one to talk," Jon said, "you lie all the time. That's what caused this whole thing in the first place."

"You can try and blame me as much as you want, but it's not going to work," I said, "I'm too smart for that."

"Are you though?" Jon asked. "People say those things to convince themselves they are when they're really not. If you were so smart, then you would've known that telling her everything would've been the best."

"Well, yes. Maybe. But—"

"So what if I planned to get rid of Ridley by handing her over to Zsasz?" Jon interrupted. "I mean, really. After all, it was your fault it all happened, not just because of your lying. You were the reason I did it. Call me a selfish bastard if you want, we both know that I am."

"You did it because you were jealous and wanted me for yourself?" I nearly yelled. The sound of police cars going by stopped me and I grabbed Jon's collar in one hand. Grunting, I dragged him across the roof and dropped him against the cupola.

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard," I hissed.

"As stupid as you only wanting Ridley around because she's Anna's kid?" Jon was coming out of his delirium now, his voice getting stronger and less airy.

"That has nothing to do with this," I said, losing patience. "This has to deal with you handing Ridley over to Zsasz when you know what he did to her!"

"Really?" Jon demanded. "You could've prevented all of this if you even wanted to."

"Don't tell me what I do and do not want," I said, "you don't know anything."

"Do we really have to go through all of this again?" Jon asked. "I know you well enough that you'd rather shoot yourself before you shot me."

"Don't test me on this," I growled.

"Go ahead then," Jon taunted, "go and—" he started coughing. "... shoot me. I dare you," he cleared his throat. "I bet you won't. You're too dependant on me." He sneered.

I seriously contemplated it for a minute. I could rid myself of Jon and then I wouldn't have to deal with stuff like this. But... even if he'd done horrible things he wasn't the only one. We all made decisions that might've not been the best; our whole entire existence as Rouges was an example of this.

"I knew you'd never have the courage to do it," Jon said, "I can see it in your face."

"So? Maybe it's a good thing," I said, "maybe I just want to watch you suffer."

"I'm still living aren't I?"

"Sometimes being alive is worse than being dead."

"I wouldn't hesitate to kill you if I had to," Jon said, finally managing to sit up.

"I know."

"You say that a lot," Jon remarked, "I bet you don't even know half the things you say you know."

"Well, if you tell me something then obviously I know about it because you told me." I rolled my eyes, somethings...

"Why did Zsasz want Ridley?"

"More like why did I want to get rid of her," Jon snickered.

"I know why you wanted to get rid of her," I said, "I want to know what Zsasz was going to do to her."

"So you could go and rescue her?"

"Maybe."

"Well you'll have a heck of a time trying to break into the League's headquarters, or where ever they're keeping her."

"The League?" A shiver went through me. What could the League of Shadows possibly want with Ridley. More importantly, Zsasz worked for Penguin. Unless... Zsasz hadn't been able to defeat Jon in the past when they had a confrontation, but if the League was involved...

"Who else knows about this?" I demanded.

"I gained access to Zsasz though one of Penguins henchmen," Jon said.

"Penguin was in on this too?" This had just gone from bad to worse. I knew Zsasz was allied with Penguin, but if they allied with the League... This was getting bigger than just us; a lot bigger. What agenda did they have by forming an alliance? I needed to find out before it was too late.

"Stay here," I said, backing up slowly, "don't go anywhere."

"Oh sure," Jon said, "like I have anywhere else to be but on a rooftop in downtown Gotham where anyone can spot me and call the police." He sneezed, "Where are my glasses? I can't see a damn thing."

"I don't know and I don't care."

"You're sure saying 'I don't know' a lot," Jon said.

"Thanks for the much needed observation, Sherlock," I said sarcastically. "Stay here. Don't move. I'm leaving."

I hastily walked away from him, mindful of my surroundings and I carefully climbed and jumped into the alley.

I had to go the The Iceberg Lounge now, not something I was particularly wanting to do, but it was necessary.

There was going to be hell to pay once I figured everything out.


	53. 【53】

It was hell getting through Gotham, not just because of all of the abnormal police activity. I was still trying to wrap my head around everything I had figured out and learned from Jon. He was a complete selfish jerk for doing what he did. Normally I would've been flattered by such a thing as he claimed he did it for me, but I knew it was just a way for him to manipulate me. It wasn't going to work this time, I was going to make sure of it.

What if he was manipulating me already? Saying Penguin had something to do with this could've been a trick. He knew the history I had with him, everyone did. Every Rouge had to start somewhere, and the lucky few could manage to do so on their own, though allies and creating a strong front was also needed. I prefered to look at it that way as I didn't need help with anything. Ok, I might need help with the things I couldn't do by myself, but I certainly didn't need anyone to teach me anything.

Needless, Penguin had helped me out a bit in the beginning, but then true to myself, I didn't want to be just second best. That resulted in a lot of unpleasant things I really didn't wish to think about.

Jumping a chain link fence, I absentmindedly starting humming Smooth Criminal before wincing. Even after eighteen years, it was too soon.

 _There's a sign in the window_

 _That he struck you a crescendo, Annie_

 _He came into your apartment_

 _Left the bloodstains on the carpet_

 _Then you ran into the bedroom_

 _You were struck down_

 _It was your doom_

 _Annie, are you ok?_

 _So, Annie, are you ok?_

 _Are you ok, Annie?_

 _You've been hit by—_

 _You've been struck by_

 _a smooth criminal_

It had always been an joke between us that I would become a criminal and steal her away along with her heart, but obviously that didn't happen. Well, part of it did, but not the most important one.

"Edward?"

I jumped and turned towards the voice. Query and Echo.

"Yes?" I said, pulling myself together.

"What do you plan to do?" Query asked.

"We heard enough to get the jist of things," Echo added, "but don't worry, we won't tell anyone."

"I can't believe I'm saying this," I muttered. "Fetch Jon and bring him back to the warehouse." I was just too nice for my own good. Perhaps Jon was right, maybe I was too dependent. No, it was just me being a good friend.

"Anything else?" Query asked, "we can look into the League and what they want with Ridley."

"Can you even get in there?" I asked, doubtfully. It wasn't that I doubted their ability, they were some of the best henchwomen I have had, I just hoped it wouldn't be too much. If the League got a whiff of me investigating them it would get ugly very quickly and in the most painful way possible.

"We'll be careful," Query said, "you don't know about half of our methods I bet."

"Why is everyone saying that I don't know?" I complained, rubbing my arm.

"Do you know?" Echo asked.

"Well, no," I frowned.

"That doesn't mean you don't know other, more important things," Query said. "It's impossible to know everything, but you can learn what you can. Honestly Edward, you need to stop doubting yourself."

"I could be smarter," I said. "I mean, if I'd been smart enough to notice—"

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Echo said sternly, "you were busy doing other, equally important things. You can't be everywhere and know everything at the same time."

"Speaking of that," Query said, "we shouldn't be holding you up like this." She gave Echo a pointed look.

"Oh yes!" Echo said. "We just wanted to drop in real quick and ask about what we should do. Now we know! We bring Jon back to the warehouse, and then go investigate the League and try not to die."

"Staying alive would be preferable," I said dryly. "Oh, and make sure to set Jon's nose as painfully as possible, it's broken."

"Roger that!"

I watched Query and Echo walk away and shook my head. It was scary how Echo could act so much like Harley.

"I don't know why we should set his nose," I heard Echo say, "I mean, he's a jerk. Plus men usually look better with a crooked nose. It gives them _character_."

' _He's a character, that's for sure_ ,' I thought.

It took me a while to make it to the Iceberg Lounge though I knew exactly where it was. I was stalling, but if I stalled any longer it might be too late for Ridley. This was getting more tedious than it should've been, but I loved a good challenge. I'd also changed since the last time I'd been there. For better or worse, we'd have to see.

Anticipation and nervousness coiled in my stomach as I approached the club, and I was surprised to see that it was closed. Penguin rarely had it closed, unless he wasn't around or if some big 'private event' was going on. It truly looked like it was closed though, no music could be heard, and the door was locked. No issue, there was a back entrance for private investors who didn't wish to be seen. That door was open practically 24/7. Penguin played favorites, and only his best investors knew of it.

Walking into the alley on the left of the building, I scanned the filthy brick for the disguised door. There; on my right. Looked like somethings didn't change.

Pushing against the door, it opened silently and I slipped in, closing it quietly behind me. The dimly lit hallway ran the back of the club, and offered a few doorways that led to various rooms. Passing a few of them, and turning right once more, I came upon the reception desk that Penguin merely kept for a sense of normalcy, like anything that went on behind the scenes of the club was normal.

I was surprised at who was behind the desk as it wasn't Lark, who usually had the unpleasant job of doing so.

"You." I narrowed my eyes. The dimwitted guy that had been 'friends' with Ridley. Of course, it made sense, but why would Penguin have any interest on keeping tabs on Ridley? Unless he'd been allied with Ra's for longer than I had initially thought, which was possible.

"Nice to see you," Max said with a smirk, "Riddler, isn't it?"

"At least the old bird taught you who we are," I said, "could say less about the other people Penguin has employed.

"I like to keep on top of things," Max said shuffling some papers, "and that 'old bird' also told me quite a bit about you, mostly complaints."

"I couldn't care less. Maxwell Knight, am I correct?"

"The one and only," Max said smugly. "Though I suppose since we both know Ridley, you can call me Max. Only Oswald and his associates call me Maxwell."

"So it's Oswald now?" I raised an eyebrow.

"A privilege that I gladly acknowledge," Max said. "Seems like you lost it."

"Another fact about my name," Max said. Like I cared. "Knight is actually my mother's maiden name."

"Why would I care?"

"Why not?" Max asked, crossing his arms. "Would you rather know my actual last name? I could tell you, but you already know it."

"How do you even know it in the first place?" I demanded.

"I would tell you that my mother told me," Max said, "but she didn't. Died of cancer when I was little, and it wasn't like my old man was going to tell me, or even take me in. He already had a new family to take care of, but you know about that as well; don't you?"

"What I know doesn't concern the likes of you, simpleton."

"Oh, you think you're so high and mighty using such 'creative' insults," Max mocked. "Let's face it, you're just a irresponsible failure who can't do anything and is ashamed of their past."

"Who told you that?" I asked, trying to hide my shock and hurt.

"Oswald, obviously," Max said, rolling his eyes. "Who do you think? I thought you were smart."

"Where is he?" I asked, not wanted to deal with this... imbecile.

"Main room," Max said, waving hand, "but don't— Hey!"

I pushed past Max as he tried to block my path.

"You can't—"

"I really don't care!" I stormed towards the large double doors that led to the main part of the club. Slamming them open, I stalked in.

"Oswald!"

THE END?


	54. Epilogue

Crashes echoed through the high ceilinged practice room, the bright fluorescent lights flashing against the racks of weapons lining the walls. The clashing paused for a moment before starting up again.

"Maratan 'ukhraa (One more time)!" a man in black yelled at a woman, also in black. He struck at the woman with a quarterstaff and the woman just barely managed to block it.

"Ma 'ant? Alhusul ealayha maea (What are you? Get it together)!"

"Twqf! Daqiqat wahida (Stop! One minute)." The woman dropped her quarterstaff and leaned over, hands planted on her knees.

"Pathetic," the man spat. "Twelve years of this and you're still acting like a _ya baqraa_."

"Kol Khara," the woman snapped, "I didn't sign up for this. If I remember correctly, you were the ones that came to me."

"Don't speak like that," the man growled, blue eyes flashing. "The Master has given you a glorious gift of a second chance at life."

"What's the point of a second life if you're treated this way?" the woman mumbled.

"What did you say!?" the man said. "Ungrateful-"

"Tawaquf, Sensei."

The two arguing people stood up straight and the man, Sensei, turned in surprise.

"Master," he said with a bow.

Ra's Al Ghul, leader of the feared leader of the League of Shadows stood there arms crossed with a sour look on his face.

"How are things going?" Ra's asked, observing the pair.

"Not much better than yesterday," Sensei said giving the woman a sideways glance as he straighted. "Some people are quite stubborn."

"Leave us," Ra's said, waving a hand.

"Master...?" Sensei frowned.

"Go." Ra's gave an expectant look.

"Yes, Master." Sensei bowed again and walked out the door.

Once he was gone, Ra's approached the woman, "Even after 12 years, you are still stubborn."

"I never thought that I'd have to go through this still," the woman said, not caring about formalities. "I thought you brought me back to fight on the environmental part of things, not hand to hand."

"This is what we do," Ra's said firmly. "You are lucky to be here. If it weren't for my daughters keen eye, you'd still be dead and have no option for revenge."

"I do not seek revenge as you say," the woman said, lifting her chin. "I simply seek a better life. One where I can make a real difference."

"You do not wish revenge for a world that has no defense against treatment from such a horrid parasite?" Ra's asked. "The human race is merely a virus; a disease plaguing the Earth. We will cleanse it, but not without sacrifice."

"I am an enviromentalist," the woman said, picking up her Quarterstaff to put it away. "I do not fight my battles with physical violence. I prefer the more subtitle and effective way of simply talking."

"Talking can only get you so far," Ra's said, "sometimes it's necessary to use violence."

"Only when there's no other option."

"There is no other option," Ra's said firmly, "and if there was, it died out long ago. Just because you passed initiation doesn't mean you can stop practicing."

"I know," the woman said, "but sometimes a break is needed if you've been working too long."

"I push you because I know what you are capable of," Ra's said, circling the woman. "Those who have experienced the Lazarus Pits come back with more than just a second life. With it comes a killer instinct, a _need_ to kill, to destroy. I could see it in your face. More powerful than those before you."

He stopped right behind her and whispered, "Do you forget who has taken your child from you, Annastasia?"


End file.
